No abstract

The most widespread information and communication technology (ICT) in developing countries today is the mobile phone. The majority of people in the least developed countries still live in rural areas and their livelihood depends on the primary industries. This study investigates the use of mobile phones among farmers in rural Tanzania in order to supply empirical data on the developmental role of this technology. The results show that the improved access to communication and information that mobile phones represent affects the entire cyclic farming life during the year and has resulted in considerable changes in the entire livelihood constructs, increased opportunities and reduced risks for rural farmers.

The challenge of bringing developing countries into the "information society" has been traditionally framed as bridging the digital divide. Meeting this challenge has predominantly been through technical solutions aimed at providing physical access to the Internet. Yet, other aspects of the divide such as low literacy rates, gender and religious issues arguably pose bigger hurdles in getting the benefits of the Internet to the vast majority of the population of developing countries. They are seldom aware of the information available on the net and even when they are, they have difficulty using it. To facilitate access and use of the Internet by the population, an intermediary is often needed. While case studies in the literature have shown several examples of such intermediaries, the role of this entity has not been conceptually examined. In this paper, we attempt to meet this knowledge gap by conceptualizing the characteristics, types and roles of the Intermediary entity. We present a view from practice through three vignettes of intermediaries from our own studies to illustrate our conceptualizations. Based on this, we discuss some implications for practice and offer directions for research.

Internet cafés are important for people's access to the Internet in poor countries. These venues offer a potential gateway to valuable information, meaningful communication, and political participation for ordinary citizens. They may also represent a possible threat to traditions and cultural values. In this paper, we analyse the use of the Internet among Internet café customers in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A main objective is to assess the importance of Internet use for human resource development. Three main categories of use are identified, namely communication, instrumental, and recreational. The two first mentioned are by far the most important in our sample. Those who use the Internet mainly for instrumental purposes, i.e. seeking information, reading online news, and research, are generally older and more highly educated with a higher personal and financial capability. This fact points in the direction of increased individual usefulness of Internet access over time.

Internet cafés represent a potential means of bridging the information gap between social groups and geographical areas This study examines the spread of Internet cafés in Indonesia The main objectives are to identify characteristics of Internet café entrepreneurs and to enhance the understanding of preconditions for the provision of Internet access by small-scale private enterprises. A survey methodology is used and the data reveal clear statistical associations between entrepreneurial adaptations, such as connection types and service variety, and success variables. The authors' policy recommendations include government intervention, primarily in infrastructure development and awareness creation, for a more equitable spread of access to information through the Internet.