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Information and Communication Technologies for Direct Poverty Alleviation: Costs and Benefits

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  • Charles Kenny

Abstract

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are powerful tools for empowerment and income generation in developing countries. The cost‐effectiveness of different ICTs does vary between developed and less developed countries, however. This article reviews the potential efficacy of radio, telephony and the Internet as tools of direct poverty alleviation in the latter. While the requirements for their successful utilisation make radio and telephone far more suitable technologies for the poor, traditional ICTs can act as a sustainable intermediary for them to gain indirect access to the power of the Internet. Governments should concentrate on opening up private and community provision of broadcasting and widening access to telephone services, so that they can effectively play this intermediary role.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Kenny, 2002. "Information and Communication Technologies for Direct Poverty Alleviation: Costs and Benefits," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 20(2), pages 141-157, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:20:y:2002:i:2:p:141-157
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-7679.00162
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    Cited by:

    1. Kunofiwa Tsaurai & Bester Chimbo, 2020. "Technology, Poverty, and Education within the BRICS’ Context," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(4), pages 471-487.
    2. Dilek Pencepe & Ozlem Ozturk, 2011. "Development of Communication Technologies in Turkey: A General Overview," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 1(2), pages 19-24, June.
    3. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, Mak B. & Norman, Neville R. & Bele, Samadhan K., 2014. "Economic growth and the development of telecommunications infrastructure in the G-20 countries: A panel-VAR approach," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 634-649.
    4. El hussieny, Nader & Gharib, Heba Ibrahim & Khamis, Mohab Ibrahim, 2019. "Case study: Universal service policies and its impact on universal service projects quantity and quality in Egypt," 2nd Europe – Middle East – North African Regional ITS Conference, Aswan 2019: Leveraging Technologies For Growth 201757, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    5. Islam, Md. Mazharul & Habes, Essam M. & Alam, Md. Mahmudul, 2018. "The usage and social capital of mobile phones and their effect on the performance of microenterprise: An empirical study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 156-164.
    6. Matthess, Marcel & Kunkel, Stefanie, 2020. "Structural change and digitalization in developing countries: Conceptually linking the two transformations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    7. Rudra P. Pradhan & Mak B. Arvin & John H. Hall & Sara E. Bennett, 2018. "Mobile telephony, economic growth, financial development, foreign direct investment, and imports of ICT goods: the case of the G-20 countries," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 45(2), pages 279-310, June.
    8. Muhammad Tanveer & Harsandaldeep Kaur & George Thomas & Haider Mahmood & Mandakini Paruthi & Zhang Yu, 2021. "Mobile Phone Buying Decisions among Young Adults: An Empirical Study of Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Kenny, Charles, 2005. "Reforming the posts : abandoning the monopoly-supported postal universal service obligation in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3627, The World Bank.
    10. Malm, Meagan K. & Toyama, Kentaro, 2021. "The burdens and the benefits: Socio-economic impacts of mobile phone ownership in Tanzania," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    11. Morris, Michael H. & Santos, Susana C. & Neumeyer, Xaver, 2020. "Entrepreneurship as a solution to poverty in developed economies," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 377-390.
    12. Nevado-Peña, Domingo & López-Ruiz, Víctor-Raúl & Alfaro-Navarro, José-Luis, 2019. "Improving quality of life perception with ICT use and technological capacity in Europe," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    13. Hernan Galperin & M. Fernanda Viecens, 2017. "Connected for Development? Theory and evidence about the impact of Internet technologies on poverty alleviation," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35(3), pages 315-336, May.
    14. Sarjit Gill & A. Talib & Choo Khong & Puvaneswaran Kunasekaran, 2016. "Exploring the Role of Resources in Ethnic Minorities’ Adoption of Information and Communication Technology in Preserving Their Cultural Identity in Malaysia," Asian Culture and History, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(1), pages 1-69, March.
    15. S. Revi Sterling & John O’Brien & John K. Bennett, 2009. "Advancement through interactive radio," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 145-154, April.
    16. Arta Musaraj & Argita Malltezi, 2012. "Communication Technologies and the public service: Is it the case of citizens inclusion in the public service standard in Albania?," Academicus International Scientific Journal, Entrepreneurship Training Center Albania, issue 5, pages 26-42, February.
    17. Laura Valadez-Martínez & Matt Padley & María Fernanda Torres Penagos, 2018. "A Dignified Standard of Living in Mexico: Results of a Pilot Study of the Minimum Income Standard Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(2), pages 695-714, November.
    18. Alvina Fatima & Muhammad Masood Azeem & Sadia Abbas & Sultan Ali Adil, 2014. "Linkages between Services Sector’s Growth and Poverty in Pakistan," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 15(2), pages 225-240, September.
    19. Rudra P. Pradhan & Samadhan Bele & Shashikant Pandey, 2013. "Internet-growth nexus: evidence from cross-country panel data," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(16), pages 1511-1515, November.

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