Digital divides and accumulated advantage: Huawei Global Connectivity Index and the Business of Education in Africa

I have been spending some time with two reports recently that have me thinking a bit about the outcomes we in the ICT4D and digital education fields are looking for in our work. Both challenge some of my perhaps idealistic beliefs that the technology could enable positive impact (which in some cases it has) in resource deprived environments. I can point to enough evidence there to suggest that is the case, but it isn’t evidence that scales very well. A success story here or there tied to a regional context. Some data to suggest increased literacy levels or greater access to health care. Overall, a tick upwards towards meeting SDGs, a small triumph in and of itself.

Technology has a role in some of these developments. Yet, the churn from its wake complicates and often disrupts domestic developments in civil society: teachers, home-grown industries, democratic governments. A certain mobility has been let loose that is difficult to contain. It can be good or bad depending on the context, depending on the time of day I seem to be thinking of it. A complicated impact.

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