Marshaling Technology for Development Proceedings of a Symposium (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Information Technology for Development
Information Technology for Development
Pages 137-144
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From page 137... ...
But any discussion of the role that information technology might play in such countries first must be placed in context by examining the forces propelling the emerging multimedia communications revolution and the evolution of the information superhighway, including AT&T's vision of it. THE FORCES DRIVING THE MULTIMEDIA REVOLUTION AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY The key underlying information technologies are the prime drivers and the major enablers behind the emerging multimedia communications revolution and the paving of the information superhighway as well as a host of other advances that together are changing the way in which people live, work, play, travel, and communicate.
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From page 138... ...
The amazing progress of silicon chips forms a microcosm of the broad thrust of information technology and all the associated forces that are leading to the multimedia communications revolution and the evolution of the information superhighway. But what progress is being made in the related driving forces, and what impacts are they having?
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From page 139... ...
The broadband integrated services digital network or B-ISDN is a new digital format as well as an international standard that supports such multiple services as voice, data, and new video services over lightwave transmission facilities. This development could introduce an exciting new era in global communications networking as equipment vendors and service providers adopt compatible standards to provide sophisticated high-bandwidth, or high-information-capacity, services.
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From page 140... ...
That marked the transition from a supplier-driven industry to today's customer-driven industry from supplier push to marketplace pull. Globally, the transfer and assimilation of information technology are combining with political and regulatory forces such as the move toward the privatization of telecommunications in both developed and developing countries to result in the growth of ever-stronger competition in the provision of communications products and services.
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From page 141... ...
These are familiar roles for AT&T, but it also is studying another, perhaps less familiar, major role in relation to the multimedia revolution: that of "host" for a wide variety of digital content and multimedia applications developed by others. Hosting is a function that connects end users to the content they are seeking that is, it provides easy, timely, and convenient access to personal communications, transactions, information services, and entertainment via wired and wireless connections to telephones, hand-held devices, computers, and eventually television sets.
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From page 142... ...
THE IMPACTS OF TECHNOLOGY TRENDS ON DEVELOPING NATIONS Advanced information technology trends, multimedia communications, and the information superhighway will have a variety of broad, beneficial social impacts on developing nations. Advanced communications, growing in ubiquity, could slow the migration of rural people to urban areas a traditional problem in such countries as the People's Republic of China.
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From page 143... ...
. In addition to these social impacts, the key information technology trends, multimedia communications, and the information superhighway will have some broad public policy impacts on developing nations.
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From page 144... ...
In summary, rich information technology, the worldwide push toward global standards, ever-increasing customer demands, and growing global competition are the key forces driving the emerging multimedia communications revolution and the evolution of a information superhighway-developments that promise a broad range of Information Age benefits to virtually every citizen of the United States. They also promise to extend these Information Age benefits to virtually every citizen of the world, including the developing nations.
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