Telecommunications and Information Services for the Poor: Toward a Strategy for Universal Access

The development community in general and the World Bank in particular recognize the importance of access to telecommunications as an element within the agenda of economic development and poverty reduction. The World Bank has adopted a strategy that includes universal access to telecommunications as a goal. This paper outlines various approaches that can be integrated to help close the "access gap" to telecommunications where needed. These include: designing and implementing appropriate policies and regulations; acquiring both government subsidies and private investment funds; building institutions and human capacity to make best use of technology; and, analyzing, refining and publishing new approaches.