E. Forestier|Jeremy Grace|Charles Kenny
Can information and communication technologies be pro-poor?
World Bank|State University of New York at Geneseo|World Bank
20 years accumulated crosscountry evidence link telecommunications provision economic growth looking microstudies range countries including bangladesh botswana zimbabwe also evidence provision telephony dramatic effect income quality life rural poor paper examines crosscountry evidence discover teledensity number telephones per capita propoor growth impactfostering increased average incomes reducing inequality also examines impact telecommunications rollout quality life variables including infant mortality literacy finds historically telecommunications rollout positive significant impact increasing inequality little impact quality life variables reason tested preliminarily confirmed rollout historically benefited wealthy paper turn emerging evidence role internet poverty relief statistics access gap provision rich poor suggesting new ict also force income divergence using results crosscountry analysis telecommunications paper conclude discussion potential policy responses sector reform universal access programs turn telecommunications source growth also increases inequality source growth diminishes