Summary and Conclusions

Productivity growth is the key factor for any country's economic development and this is also one of the significant contributions of telecommunications. The telecommunications infrastructure contributes towards productivity growth in many ways. The importance of it has been increasing rapidly in the past two decades as a result of revolutionary growth in information technology.

Developed countries are already experiencing the benefits through their well-established telecommunications systems and continuous modernization of their telecommunication networks. On the other hand, the developing countries have realized the importance of modern telecommunications and information infrastructure for achieving high growth rate and economic development. However, the proper adoption and utilization of the rapidly changing information technology is a major challenge to them. As Mbarika suggests in the above discussion, it is imperative that developing countries should make use of the information opportunities provided by ICTs like the Internet. In LDCs where the Internet and telecommunications technologies are unavailable, it is about time that governments and the private sector in those countries make such services available to most people. This accessibility to ICTs will, in the long run, reduce high illiteracy rates, increase opportunities for employability and reduce poverty. It will also increase opportunities for distance education for a more informed African society.