Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration
In the OIC Member Countries
161
therefore preparing it to fulfill a productive role in the digital economy. They can be structured
around conventional continuing education courses, as extension programs of universities, or
organized under economic development efforts focused on specific regions of a country.
Training can be provided in a variety of ways, so long as it is offered in an easily accessible,
affordable manner to encourage participation. Many training sessions, for example, are offered
at local community access centers or schools, where citizens already feel comfortable, while
others are offered online. Sessions can cover a variety of topics, but tend to focus on the
development of ICT skills with “real world” application, including, but not limited to e-mail,
Internet search, Job search, and CV creation.
Programs focused on rural isolated areas represent a particular case of the examples
presented above. As such, they address the complexities of delivering training in underserved
regions of a country. The primary foci of these programs is bridging the digital divide and
enhancing the employability profile of the targeted population. In this case, the initiatives tend
to be large scale and centrally managed and focus on accessibility. While the central
government plays a prominent role in program management, it is not unusual to find private
sector participants or NGOs. Access in this case is key, as this population cannot easily utilize
the physical resources found in urban areas. To this degree, successful programs have:• Offered online training,
• Built local access centers or cybercafés in areas with limited ICT
• Implemented initiatives in public schools or safe houses
• Partnered with local governments
• Deployed trainers to rural areas
Finally, digital literacy programs conceived as extension of either universities or secondary
schools have proven to be very valuable in bridging the generational gap. The overall long-
term goal of these programs is to improve social inclusion of the elderly population. The
primary content delivered in this type of programs are standard computer courses, in some
cases tailored specifically to the needs of the elderly (e.g. email to communicate with the
family, photo sharing, use financial applications, purchasing tickets online, etc.). However, in
addition, digital literacy courses for the elderly give seniors an opportunity to meet people and
develop a social network.
Finally, with regards to lowering the cultural and linguistic relevance barrier, it is critical that
both the government and the private sector engage in the development of new platforms.
Internet access in itself is of little value in the absence of so-called complementary goods that
confer value to such access.
VI.3. OIC Member Countries at embryonic broadband development
For countries that are still at the early development stages of broadband demand and supply, a
combination of infrastructure deployment incentives and demand stimulation policies are
required. Policy makers in these countries have to recognize that the competitive incentive will
not be sufficient to generate the stimuli required to promote infrastructure investment.