Developing national information and communication infrastructure (NICI) policies, plans and strategies : the 'why' and 'how' 1999

Abstract

The emergence and convergence of information and communication technologies (ICT) remain at the centre of global social and economic transformations. The ICT sector is a gamut of industries and services activities - Internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology (IT) equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centers, commercial information providers, network-based information services and other related information and communication activities. These technological components which used to be accounted as separate activities have converged to characterize all aspects of ICTs. This has also led to the introduction of the concept of national information infrastructure (Nil) or global information infrastructure (GH) defined as the "technologies, organizations, and capabilities that facilitate the production and use of ICTs" .