Figure 5. Technology Adoption Curve Innovators 2.5% Early Adopters 13.5% Early Majority 34% Late Majority 34% Laggards 16% network-based technology in a sustainable and, potentially, self-reinforcing manner is to follow the logic of the Technology Adoption Curve. That way a relatively easy enticement of earlier adopters will increase the value of such a technology to later comers and will, in turn, make it easier to attract the latter and sustain their interest in the technology. At the same time, working against such laws hinders the reinforcing sustainable development and kick-starting of a virtuous circle of network-effects-based development, in which an increasing user base attracts new users, and new users make it more attractive for existing ones to stay connected. A simplified representation of those opposite approaches is shown in the graph on the next page43. If ICTs, contrary to the preferred approach described above, were to be first provided to the most remote and most challenging areas to the people who need most support in using such tools and services, without such ICTs being available in less challenging areas, the beneficiar- The Government considers that its’ primary role should be to provide a direction to, enable, facilitate, and encourage development of the ICT sector, including via setting appropriate policies.” ies of such initiatives would not derive much value from them. Such beneficiaries would not have anyone to communicate to using such tools and services, and not much content and applications to make such ICTs useful. Furthermore, in such a scenario there would be no indigenous support system that would ensure sustenance of implemented solutions and maintenance of infrastructure, facilities and devices. Isolated projects in very remote areas have small chances of success, and/or require very substantial recurrent resources leading to high costs for relatively moderate benefits. 43 See the gap between the value and costs/effort for each of the two approaches. Approaches and Principles 33