Abstract:
Farly part of the new millennium Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is
identified as a tool that makes human life easier, but now ICT extended its role as a tool
of poverty reduction and economic development in less developed countries. In
developed countries amalgamate ICT with other human activities is a natural process,
however still policy makers in less developed countries are trying to enforce the
utilization of ICT in economic activities. Less develop countries are encouraged to use
ICT extendedly not only by local policy makers but also by world organizations like
World Bank, United Nations and Asian Development bank. In Asia some countries are
catching up but rest still not identified the importance of ICT as a development tool
moreover some arc still arguing about the possibility of using ICT in economic
development and poverty reduction. This debate is leading some Asian countries towards
creating unbridgeable Digital Divide known as Digital Chasm.
Study analyzed the GDP per capita income, IT investment, Internet Hosts and Internet
usage in 30 Asian counties for the period of 1975 to 2004 (2004 is the latest). This study
was trying to find solutions for following questions,
1. Is there a relationship between economic standard and ICT investment in Asia?
2. What is the nature of the investment in Internet technology in Asia?
3. Is ICT a tool of economic development in Asia?
4. Is Asia having Digital chasm?
Study concluded that there is a strong relationship between economic standard and IT
investment in Asia, countries with higher GDP per capita were investing in IT heavily
and vise versa. Then study identified that higher IT investors are totally concern about the
Internet hosting and usage while less IT investors are becoming lowest Internet hosting
and usage countries as well. Also study identified that there are clear evidence of impact
of ICT in certain economic development in certain countries that had least economic
standard during 1975-1990. As a result of heavy investments in ICT, countries like
China, Malaysia. Indonesia and Thailand were improved their economic standard
remarkably during 1995-2004 periods. Even though other least develops countries arc
still at the lowest economic standard and leading their way to a digital chasm.
