[Ict4women] Just Published - 'Information Economy Report 2009'

[Sophia Huyer]

 From [web2fordev]

Just Published - 'Information Economy Report 2009'

'The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent  
Times' is the fourth in a series published by the United Nations  
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report is one of the  
few publications to monitor global trends in information and  
communication technologies (ICTs) as they affect developing countries.  
It serves as a valuable reference for policymakers in those nations.  
It gives special attention to the impact of the global financial  
crisis on ICTs.

Contents:
* Global and regional trends in the diffusion of ICTs such as fixed  
and mobile telecommunications, Internet, and broadband
* Ranking of the most dynamic economies in terms of increased ICT  
connectivity between 2003 and 2008
* Monitoring of the "digital divide"
* Survey of national statistical offices on the use of ICT in the  
business sector
* A review of the changing patterns in the trade of ICT goods
* A mapping of the new geography in the offshoring of IT and ICT- 
enabled services
* Policy recommendations on how developing countries can reap greater  
benefits from ICT
* A statistical annex with global ICT data.

The Information Economy Report 2009 (IER 2009) offers a fresh  
assessment of the diffusion of key ICT applications between 2003 and  
2008. While fixed telephone subscriptions are now in slight decline,  
mobile and Internet use continues to expand rapidly in most countries  
and regions. At the same time, there is a widening gap between high- 
income and low-income countries in broadband connectivity. Broadband  
penetration is now eight times higher in developed than in developing  
countries. The report explores policy options for countries seeking to  
improve broadband connectivity.

The IER 2009 includes a chapter on the use of ICTs in the business  
sector. Drawing on unique data, it examines how ICT use differs both  
between and within countries, highlighting the rural-urban divide as  
well as that between large and small companies. The report recommends  
that governments in developing countries give more attention to ICT  
uptake and use by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they  
are lagging behind larger firms. And it discusses those aspects of ICT  
where government intervention can make a difference.

A third chapter is devoted to the impact of the financial crisis on  
ICT trade. While a growing share of exports of ICT goods and services  
is accounted for by developing economies, especially in Asia, the  
crisis has affected goods and services quite differently. ICT goods  
are among the categories of trade most negatively affected by the  
recession, while IT and ICT-related services appear to be among the  
most resilient. A statistical annex to the report provides data on ICT  
infrastructure, ICT use, and ICT trade for up to 200 economies. A PDF  
version of the IER 2009 and its statistical annex are downloadable  
from the UNCTAD website (www.unctad.org/ier) from 23 October 2009.

Download Full-text PDF: http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ier2009_en.pdf

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Anup Kumar Das
New Delhi, India
http://anupkumardas.blogspot.com/
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