address such issues as interoperability, security, data protection and privacy
concerns, technological neutrality, convergence and public access. In addition,
the Strategy articulates a clear direction that will assist the development of
both ICT projects within the private and public sectors.
Key Trends
ICTs are now playing a major role in the provision of health care, management
of diseases, delivery of education and in combating terrorism and transnational
crime.
The region‟s small economies must therefore transition to new ways of
operating and must do so in a sustained manner. They must, in this regard,
seek to develop other sectors, including their services sector in order to become
globally competitive.
They must develop into knowledge or information
economies/societies if they are to grow and prosper.
This will not occur
naturally and therefore positive action is needed on the part of policy makers to
create an appropriate framework for the development of the information
economy.
Statistical data on ICT usage
The 2000 population Census revealed that with respect to Information and
Communication Technologies that there were on average 93% of households
with television sets, 83% with land line telephones, 22% with computers and
14% of the population surveyed had access to the Internet.
A study conducted by the National Council for Science and Technology in 2004
revealed that with respect to computer access from home there was a 39.6%
penetration rate while for access workplace the penetration rate was 56.7%. In
terms of Internet access the penetration rate was 34.3% at home and 49.8% at
work. For cellular phones the penetration rate was 61.2% and for television, it
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