Challenges in international ICT development

IT (for the West) and ICT (for the developing world) are not only different acronyms (IT stands for information technology, ICT add communications to the mix) but very different challenges. In the west, communications technology are taken for granted due to their pervasiveness. In the developing world this is not the case. In many places, information technology such as computers and internet are being implemented alongside communications technologies. Thus, they are grouped together into one major concern, ICT development.

Part of the reason this is true is that traditional communications technology in the west are dependent on heavy-duty infrastructure requirements. There is a vast network of physically wired networks, a grid that spreads across the West. This network was the basis of all communications technology (except for satellite) in the west until very recently. It is still the basis of most western communications technology. The infrastructure was paid for by amortizing the cost over decades, and funded by state-run monopolies (the Bells).

On the other hand, most developing nations never developed such an infrastructure of wires. It is very expensive and easily destroyed by various human and natural forces. The cost of building out such a network is in the billions. Thus, with the advent of the cell phones, a dramatic change was seen, in which cell-phone penetration in the developing world matched or even exceeded the West.

Compared traditional physical communications infrastructure, cell phone deployments are inexpensive and sturdy. Cell phone towers are small, enclosed, and can be run off the electricity grid using generators. Thus a recent advance in this wireless communications technology enabled a dramatic improvement in the availability of telecommunications.

In this way and in many other ways, ICT development (unlike IT) intrinsically includes bringing communications technology, like telephony, to places that never had it before.

Generally speaking, a reliable electrical grid is lacking in developing nations. Cities in developing nations typically have a grid that is unreliable. Rural areas typically have no grid at all throughout most of the country. Thus, ICT development projects should not assume that an electrical grid will be present.

The traditional PC (personal computer) requires a grid-level electrical connection to work properly. PC monitors are especially power hungry, typically running at 40-60W. It is possible to purchase equipment called a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that will condition the power from an unreliable grid and allow the user time to properly shut down their machine should the power fail. In addition most PCs will not fail catastrophically (that is, never to work again) if the power goes out temporarily. Thus, PCs are acceptable in urban settings.

Electrical power generators that run on various fuels can also substitute for a grid, provided funding is available.

In rural settings without a grid, other equipment must be considered. Fortunately battery-run ICT equipment is available and usually is more rugged and portable than the traditional PC, an advantage in a rural area. Because of these qualities, it is also more expensive. The laptop computer can replace a standard PC and run off low levels of power such as solar power or bicycle-style generators. Palm-style computing devices may run for weeks or months on a single battery or battery charge. Cell phones can typically be used periodically for several days on a single charge. Wireless network devices such as WiFi base stations use little power. All of these solutions can be run on car-battery/solar/pedal-power style electrical systems.

Parts and equipment must be acquired and delivered in order to establish any ICT development program. Shipping and acquiring advanced technology parts can be difficult in developing nations. Commodity equipment such as the basic desktop PC is generally available, however choice is restricted relative to the West, and likely to be relatively out-of-date. Shipping advanced or unusual equipment into a developing country can be slow, expensive, and possibly even difficult from a political perspective. Thus solutions that can be built on simple, easy-to-acquire commodity parts are more appropriate. In situations where specialized equipment is required, delivering the equipment may be a major aspect of the project.

In addition replacement and maintenance parts must be considered. Again, it is best to use parts that are locally available so that they can be maintained by locals without the expense or hassle of international delivery. If specialized parts are required, they should be extremely durable, extra parts should be supplied, and the units should use interoperable parts so that units that fail can have their parts reused in other equipment.

Due to the lack of equipment, schooling, and opportunity, the developing world is substantially lacking in ICT expertise. Thus, it is likely that developing local expertise must be a part of any ICT development project that aims to be a long-term, sustainable success.

Some ICT equipment is so simple that anyone can use it (such as the cell phone). On the other hand, computers and palm devices require some expertise to use and maintain. This expertise, if developed, should at minimum allow the local users of the equipment to use, maintain, and replace the equipment should it fail. Projects that aim to develop local expertise can also provide new opportunities for locals to gain marketable ICT skills.

Factors such as gender equality and community sharing should also be considered in developing local expertise and determining who controls the systems. Microlending programs to loan women the funds to purchase a cell phone, and then rent it for use to other villagers, have been very successful. Village communities are already in place, and they should be respected when introducing new technology, by putting it into the hands of responsible community members who will share access equitably and treat the equipment and any funds involved with responsibility.

Software unlike physical manufactured goods, are easily copied and pirated throughout the world. Thus, pirated software is widely available in developing nations. ICT development projects should not overlook the likelihood that should a given project prosper, it will be subject to software license scrutiny, as one side-effect of success is that it brings greater scrutiny. Thus, all software involved in ICT development should be properly licensed.

This most likely eliminates the possibility of using standard, commercial software. The prices for commercial software are very high. In addition, most commercial software packages must be regularly upgraded every few years, invoking unknown costs in the future. Another difficulty with commercial software is that it is almost impossible to obtain localized versions in languages other than the ten or twenty most popular languages globally.

Fortunately open source software (OSS) offers an attractive alternative. Some well known OSS packages include GNU/Linux, a freely available operating system that runs on standard personal computers, OpenOffice, an open-source clone of Microsoft Office, and "LAMP" (linux/apache/mySQL/perl) a suite of software to create and host websites. All open source software is gratis to copy and distribute, and open to modification by any user. The source code for OSS is available to read and modify, so small groups can easily create localized versions of the software for "niche" languages.

In order to take advantage of the global internet, it is necessary to provision the targeted area with network access. The key elements in provisioning a network are international bandwidth, regional access, and "last-mile" connectivity. In order to bring the "C" benefits of "ICT" to an area, bandwidth, access, and connectivity must all be addressed.

International bandwidth is a precious resource in most of the developing world. Countries in the West are connected together by a web of fibre-optic cables that can carry hundreds of megabits of data per second between countries and continents. These cables run underground and undersea, and it costs a great deal to lay and maintain the cables. While the fibre itself is cheap, laying and burying the cable is very expensive. Fleets of maintenance crews and seagoing vessels must be at constant alert to repair faults immediately.

Because of this great expense, many developing nations have yet to connect into the global fibre-optic network. They may rely on either low-bandwidth telephone cable connections, or satellite connections. Both are very slow compared to fibre. Telephone lines are difficult to maintain, and satellite links are very expensive. Still, in the absence of other options, both are used. Projects such as the SAT3 undersea cable that brings fibre access to the western coast of Africa, are promising. Hopefully the affected national governments will promote local internet access through that new cable.

Regional access and "last-mile" (really last-kilometre in most of the world) connectivity are also currently rare in the developing world due to the same cable-maintenance problems associated with electrical power. However, new technology, like the cell-phone, is already changing the equation. Recently is has become possible to provision a network over distances ranging from hundreds of kilometres to hundreds of metres using wireless data networks. One technology, called "WiFi" or 802.11, is exciting because it is free of any license and the hardware is available at very cheap commodity prices.

WiFi network links today span tens of kilometres in links between hill-top towers. The signals require only a line-of-sight between the two points, and work at very high speed - 1 to 50 Mbps (megabits per second). Like cell phone towers, wireless network towers can operate on battery or generator power. WiFi networks are in common use throughout the world by Wireless internet service providers (WISPs) to bring internet access into homes and business in large and small towns. Less expensive and more robust systems like packet radio can support minimal email communications even without the need for line-of-sight.