OPINION: On Wednesday, April 15, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published the 2015 edition of the Global Information Technology Report (GITR), which features the latest iteration of the Networked Readiness Index. This assesses the factors, policies and institutions that enable a country to fully leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) for increased competitiveness and well-being.
The report highlighted the importance and impact of ICT as a vector of social development and transformation by improving access to basic services, enhancing connectivity and creating employment. The report presented a generally positive view of the growth of Jamaica’s technology infrastructure and was critical about its use of technology for social and economic development. The results of the report suggest that mostly rich countries have benefited from the ICT revolution and, paradoxically but unsurprisingly, it has created new digital divides.
Despite these results, Jamaica’s ranking has improved with a new high of 82nd of 143 countries versus 85th in 2013 and 86th in 2014. Two areas for which the country received high ranking were 1) availability of new technologies (43rd of 143 countries) and 2) the quality of management schools (57th of 143 countries). Regardless of these improvements, Jamaica is considered among those developing and emerging countries that are failing to exploit ICT to drive economic and social transformation.
In the latter half of 2014, the College of Business and Management (COBAM) at the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica conducted a national study on ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals, which adds additional perspective to the GITR. More
