1.1.2 ICTs Defined 

In order to assess the potential role of information and communication technologies for development, a proper understanding is required of what ICTs actually are? According to UNDP: ICTs are basically information-handling tools—a varied set of goods, applications and services that are used to produce, store, process, distribute and exchange information. They include the ‘old’ ICT of radio, television and telephone and the ‘new’ ICT of computers, satellite and wireless technology and the Internet. With appropriate content and applications, these tools are now able to work together, and combine to form a ‘networked world’—a massive infrastructure of interconnected telephone services, standardized computing hardware, the Internet, radio and television—which reaches into every corner of the globe.

In order to assess the potential role of information and communication technology (ICT) the hardware and software that enables data to be digitally processed, stored and communicated. ICT can be used to access, process, manage and present information; model and control events; construct new understanding; and communicate with others.