The broadcast media, radio and television, have a unique and particular role to play both in enhancing governance and accountability and in giving voice to poor and marginalized communities. Broadcast media, are especially relevant and accessible to remote communities, cultural and linguistic...

China and India have grown rapidly in importance in the global economy over the past two decades the same period in which hardware and software have become important tradable products in the global economy. China has reached global scale in the hardware industry but not in software; India has...

The main messages of poor places, thriving people: how the Middle East and North Africa can rise above spatial disparities can be summarized in four words: people, connections, clusters, and institutions. This report shows how smart investments and policies in transport can connect poor places...

The little data book on information and communication technology 2009 charts the progress of this revolution for 209 countries around the world. It provides comparable statistics on the sector for 2000 and 2007 across a range of indicators, enabling readers to readily compare countries. This...

This joint OED(Operations Evaluation Department)/OEG (Operations Evaluation Group) study follows up OED's 1993 review of the Bank's experience in telecommunications. It assesses how World Bank Group assistance from 1993 onward has influenced the development of information infrastructure in...

Broadcasting can have a significant part to play in the fight to reduce global poverty. At least 77 percent of the world's population is estimated to be within easy access of broadcast technology (compared to perhaps 4 percent for the Internet), broadcast services are easily accessible by the...

In recognition of the fundamental importance of an appropriate regulatory environment to accelerate connectivity, and access to information services, this handbook provides a practical reference source, on the methods used to regulate the telecommunications sector around the world, emphasizing...

A free press is not a luxury. It is at the core of equitable development. The media can expose corruption. They can keep a check on public policy by throwing a spotlight on government action. They let people voice diverse opinions on governance and reform, and help build public consensus to...

This book suggests an ecosystem approach to broadband policy that could help in the design of strategies, policies, and programs that support network expansion, have the potential to transform economies, improve the quality and range of services, enable application development, and broaden...

The little data book on information and communication technology charts the progress of this revolution for 208 countries around the world. It provides comparable statistics on the sector for 2000 and 2005, across a range of indicators, enabling readers to readily compare countries. This guide...