Internet Access in Developing and Developing-Asia Countries

Although the countries undergoing transition are extremely diverse, there are certain commonalities in their historical Internet use:

Invasion of the Internet

Internet penetration in the developing world varies widely from country to country but is consistently low when measured against both European and American norms. This is due to factors including low computer literacy and luddism (computer fear), high service costs, an extortionate pricing structure, and a general lack of infrastructure.

After years of poor planning at the national level, the societies of the transitioning countries are stagnant (and, for the most part, conservative or traditionalist). Many individuals view the Internet (and computers) as dangerous because they are part of a technological revolution that will eventually render them obsolete.

The Spread of Rumors

All forms of instant messaging, but especially older versions of IRC, contributed significantly to the development of communities and the free flow of information. Internet Relay Chat (IRC), Multi-Internet Relay Chat (MIRC), e-mail and e-mail fora, and SMS (short messaging services on mobile phones and other portable devices) were (and still are) the most popular means of communicating online.

Politics, news, and personal contacts were (and are) the primary uses of the IRC. Countries in transition are known for their unreliable media. People have been reading between the lines (fictional or real) for decades due to official brainwashing and propaganda. The Internet has become a primary conduit for the spread of conspiracy theories, malicious libel, hearsay, and eyewitness accounts, just as it has for the propagation of rumors and gossip, which have traditionally stood in for news.

A generation of disenfranchised youth, cut off from the outside world by official doctrine and from each other by paranoia fostered by the political regime, enthusiastically adopted the Internet and its various instant messaging services, leading to an increase in the number (though not necessarily the quality) of interactions between the users.

Users were introduced to western culture and ways of living in which trust and cooperation play more fundamental roles than in their own. The result is more communication between the two parties. It helped people feel like they belonged somewhere. Since the Internet is not widely available in transitioning countries, its influence is minimal. It didn't change anything about the way governments function here. Even in the United States, it is only just beginning to have an impact and be integrated into political processes (for example, through blogging).

The availability of global information online stoked entrepreneurs' fires and uplifted their hopes for a better life. Like mobile telephony, which lets developing nations avoid costly upgrades to antiquated infrastructure, Internet access was seen as a fast track to wealth. Its decentralized methods of distribution, global penetration, "rags to riches" mentality, and dizzying rate of innovation attracted the young and creative.

To compete with the likes of "Silicon Valley" and India's booming software sector, many people made the decision to become software developers. Russians created anti-virus software; former Yugoslavs created online design services; Czechs created e-media; and so on. However, this is only for the most elite members of society. There is still a long way to go until we see widespread use of electronic commerce (although mobile commerce may emerge sooner in places like the Czech Republic and the Baltic).

E-commerce represents the logical conclusion of a chain of events. You need a robust computer system, a reliable communications network, affordable Internet access, computer knowledge, an unwillingness to delay satisfaction, a consumerist worldview, and some level of trust among the many economic actors.

Everything mentioned above is absent in transitional states. The vast majority of people today have no idea what the Internet is or how useful it may be to them. The number of people using the Internet at home and in the workplace, as well as the penetration rate, the number of computers per household, the number of phone lines per household, and the reliability of the telecommunications infrastructure, are all extremely low.

However, the cost of an Internet connection remains extremely expensive. To say "industries" accurately describes the emerging Internet businesses in developing nations is a stretch. There are only a few shining examples. They sprang up to meet a need in the area, occasionally went global, but generally kept to themselves. There was no consensus on who would develop what among different nations and business owners. It was just random.

Leveler

Early adopters of the "great equalizer" impacts of the Internet can be found among the populations of countries in transition. They engaged in cyberwarfare, unleashed a flood of visual creation, and engaged in deconstructive debate as a means of releasing their pent-up rage and hatred.

When I say it's a "great equalizer," I mean it brings poor nations up to speed with the developed ones. Please refer to the aforementioned article. Citizens of transition economies feel they are falling behind the West in terms of wealth and prosperity. They have an overall sense of being degraded, ignored, despised, dictated to, and neglected.

The Internet is seen as a tool that can bring harmony back to the world. But obviously, that can't happen. It remains a luxury item for the affluent. While former US President Bill Clinton highlighted the Digital Divide within the United States, a similar chasm exists between the industrialized and developing globes, and its ramifications are even more severe. The Internet hasn't helped close the wealth gap; on the contrary, it's boosted the productivity and economic growth (also known as "The New Economy") of wealthy countries (mostly the United States) while leaving developing nations behind.

Confidential Information

Intellectual property, which had no precedent in the global Internet culture to begin with, came to symbolize Western dominance and monopolistic tendencies. Pirating software and hacking computers became not only a social status symbol but also a political statement. However, the level playing field was achieved through the quick transmission of programs and knowledge (for example, illegal copies of reference texts).

The transitioning countries have a high rate of piracy. The countries in transition are home to more pirates than any other region in the world, even Asia. Everything from software to movies to novels may be freely copied and disseminated online. While the black market and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) both sell fake goods, you're more likely to come across them on the former.

I anticipate that intellectual property will go the way the pharmaceutical sector did: Instead of fighting windmills, owners and distributors of intellectual property will join the trend. They will likely join together with sponsors who will subsidize intellectual property costs so that people living in developing nations may afford it. Potential backers include nonprofit organizations and philanthropists, as well as multilateral agencies like the World Bank.