ABSTRACT
As noted in chapter 1, several key technological trends are driving the proliferation of new information and telecommunications services. They include: capacity (increase in bandwidth); digitization (so that any service is transmitted as a stream of bits); ubiquity (potential availability of services anywhere, primarily by terrestrial wireless and satellite technologies); and convergence (combining voice, data, and images delivered over a single network). Many new technologies offer the possibility for developing countries to leapfrog earlier generations of equipment to close the information gap. This chapter examines technologies that are being implemented in developing regions, or could be adapted for rural and developing country applications. It then examines trends in connectivity costs, and steps in planning, training and technical support that could further reduce costs.
