On ICT ‘usage’

A pat on the back is in order for mobile broadband operators. They have amassed over 30 million 3G subscriptions in just two years after the service launch. The growth will likely continue, given there are tens of millions more 2G users who can be upgraded to 3G services.
But beyond all the numbers and statistics lies the matter of using latest information and communication technologies (ICTs) to help in delivering development outcomes and fostering innovation. It is time that the stakeholders focused on such “usage”: how folks can put the ICTs to productive use in their personal lives, academics in their instruction, traders in their transactions, and government in its service delivery. Some call that kind of usage “useful connectivity”; others call it ICT4D (ICT for Development).
Global ICT rankings keep popping up every now and then that show Pakistan lagging behind its regional peers. While other areas also demand attention, the country’s ranking is affected the most on account of subpar “usage”. Take, for instance, the latest Global IT Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in which Pakistan was ranked 110 out of 139 economies on a Networked Readiness Index (NRI).
The NRI comprised of four sub-indices for ICTs: regulatory and innovation environment, readiness, usage, and socioeconomic impact. Pakistan’s ranking was blighted by a low score due to “usage”, even as other sub-indices fared only marginally better. Among the usage pillars, ‘government usage’ and ‘business usage’ were ranked slightly better, at 103 and 110, respectively, compared to individual usage that was ranked at ‘123’.
The same report ranked Pakistan number one in the world in terms of ICT affordability. So, what gives? On the individual side, mobile telephony access is low – 2G users are no more than 50 million in a country of at least 100 million adults. On the business side, ICT use for B2B and B2C transactions needs to pick up. On the government front, perhaps the toughest governance reform is a cultural change that embraces digital.
Pakistan’s low literacy rate and the tech skills gap among its workforce could be some of the bottlenecks to using ICTs effectively for innovation and enterprise. But there is hope. The youth bulge in the country is large enough and vocal enough to bring their millennial tech-savvy to bear on their social interactions, academic travails, and commercial transactions. Yet their willingness alone may not suffice.
The governments, at both federal and provincial tiers, have a role in enabling people to make most out of connectivity. But the starting point is to understand current patterns of ICT usage among individuals, academia, business, and government, and then come up with a vision for the future. Telco’s may have their fancy marketing research reports, but their focus, naturally, will be on commercial aspects of ICT usage.
But usage needs to be assessed on a wider spectrum. The task befalls telecom authorities to conduct wide-ranging studies on ICT usage and disseminate resulting insights for the public. That may help drive developmental outcomes from connectivity. A BR Genie tells us that one such report was commissioned by the Ministry of IT & Telecom a few years ago, but the findings have not been released to the public.