Eng. Deepasika Seneviratne B.Sc. (Eng.) Hons., MBA

Divisional Manager

Switching & Planning

1. ICT and its popularity2. Envisaged benefits of ICT3. The Digital Divide4. Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT5. Bridging the Divide6. Empowering women

ICT and its popularity

What is ICT?Information and Communications Technologies an umbrella term which includes any

communication device or application Encompassing :

• radio• television• cellular phones• computers and networks • hardware and software• satellite systems etc.

• And the various services associated such as videoconferencing and distance learning

Envisaged benefits of ICT

• Universal access to information • Rationality of markets • Transparency of government• Sharing world’s many cultures• Formation of Global communities• Life-and health-enhancing

information to ordinary people• Prosperity to world’s six billion

citizens

• The importance of ICTs lies in its ability to create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations.

• The technology is practically worthless unless people are equipped with the know-how, and the willingness, to use it.

• Those who cannot use it confidently, will become increasingly marginalised within the modern world.

The Digital Divide

“the world can be divided into people who do and do not have access to - and the capability to use - modern information technology, such as the telephone, television, or the Internet”.

the basic factor which leads to a digital divide is lack of access to computers and Internet

The digital divide exists between :

• Cities and Rural areas

• The educated and the uneducated

• Different economic classes

• More and less industrially developed nations

• Between Generations

Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT

WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICSDecember 31, 2011

www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide

World Regions

PopulationInternet users 2011

Penetration (% population)

Users %

Africa1,037,524,05

8 139,875,242 13.50% 6.20%

Asia3,879,740,87

7 1,016,799,076 26.20% 44.80%Europe 816,426,346 500,723,686 61.30% 22.10%Middle East 216,258,843 77,020,995 35.60% 3.40%North America 347,394,870 273,067,546 78.60% 12.00%Latin America / Carib. 597,283,165 235,819,740 39.50% 10.40%Oceania / Australia 35,426,995 23,927,457 67.50% 1.10%

TOTAL6,930,055,1

542,267,233,74

2 32.70% 100.00%

ASIA INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICSDecember 31, 2011

www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide

   Country  Population  (Est.) Internet Users  (31.12.2011)

 Penetration (% per population) 

 Users (% Asia) 

1 Korea, North           24,457,492.00   --   --   -- 

2 Korea, South           48,754,657.00       40,329,660.00  82.70% 4.00%

3 Japan         126,475,664.00     101,228,736.00  80.00% 10.00%

4 Brunei Darussalem                 401,890.00             318,900.00  79.40% 0.00%

5 Singapore             4,740,737.00          3,658,400.00  77.20% 0.40%

6 Taiwan           23,071,779.00       16,147,000.00  70.00% 1.60%

7 Hong Kong *             7,122,508.00          4,894,913.00  68.70% 0.50%

8 Malaysia           28,728,607.00       17,723,000.00  61.70% 1.70%

9 Macao *                 573,003.00             308,797.00  53.90% 0.00%

10 Armenia             2,967,975.00          1,396,550.00  47.10% 0.10%

11 Azerbaijan             8,372,373.00          3,689,000.00  44.10% 0.40%

12 Kyrgystan             5,587,443.00          2,194,400.00  39.30% 0.20%

ASIA INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICSDecember 31, 2011

www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide

   Country  Population  (Est.) Internet Users  (31.12.2011)

 Penetration (% per population) 

 Users (% Asia) 

13 China *     1,336,718,015.00     513,100,000.00  38.40% 50.50%

14 Kazakhstan           15,522,373.00          5,448,965.00  35.10% 0.50%

15 Vietnam           90,549,390.00       30,516,587.00  33.70% 3.00%

16 Philippines         101,833,938.00       29,700,000.00  29.20% 2.90%

17 Maldives                 394,999.00             114,100.00  28.90% 0.00%

18 Georgia             4,585,874.00          1,300,000.00  28.30% 0.10%

19 Thailand           66,720,153.00       18,310,000.00  27.40% 1.80%

20 Uzbekistan           28,128,600.00          7,550,000.00  26.80% 0.70%

21 Indonesia         245,613,043.00       55,000,000.00  22.40% 5.40%

22 Pakistan         187,342,721.00       29,128,970.00  15.50% 2.90%

23 Bhutan                 708,427.00                98,728.00  13.90% 0.00%

24 Sri Lanka           21,283,913.00          2,503,194.00  11.80% 0.20%

ASIA INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICSDecember 31, 2011

www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide

   Country  Population  (Est.) Internet Users  (31.12.2011)

 Penetration (% per population) 

 Users (% Asia) 

25 Mongolia             3,133,318.00             355,524.00  11.30% 0.00%

26 Tajikistan             7,627,200.00             794,483.00  10.40% 0.10%

27 India     1,189,172,906.00     121,000,000.00  10.20% 11.90%

28 Laos             6,477,211.00             527,400.00  8.10% 0.10%

29 Nepal           29,391,883.00          2,031,245.00  6.90% 0.20%

30 Afganistan           29,835,392.00          1,256,470.00  4.20% 0.10%

31 Bangladesh         158,570,535.00          5,501,609.00  3.50% 0.50%

32 Cambodia           14,701,717.00             491,480.00  3.10% 0.00%

33 Turkmenistan             4,997,503.00             110,924.00  2.20% 0.00%

34 Myanmar           53,999,804.00             110,000.00  0.20% 0.00%

35 Timor-Leste             1,177,834.00                  2,361.00  0.20% 0.00%

   TOTAL ASIA     3,879,740,877.00     1,016,799,076.00  26.20% 100.00%

• Africa (13.5%) and Asia (26.2%) are lowest in world internet penetration (as a % population), even below the world average of 32.7%

• Even in Asia region, Sri Lanka only 24th among 35

However,• Out of the world’s196 countries, with the

available statistics of 183, Sri Lanka ranks at 32 in literacy rate!

Bridging the Divide

• The basic factor which leads to a digital divide is lack of access to computers and Internet.

• Although it is essentially necessary to provide avenues to information and knowledge, it is not sufficient .

• Empower people with appropriate educational, cognitive and behavioural skills and tools

• ICT to villages : Nena Sala

• Computer laboratories : schools &

villages

• Flagship ICT programme e-Sri Lanka

initiative

• Distant learning

• Broadband to all

• Training older generation through

television & radio progrmmes

Empowering women

Women are better multi taskers Present :

1. Call Centres 2. Customer Care3. Marketing 4. Engineering

Future :1. Work from home 2. Self employment & entrepreneurship3. Improved household living standards 4. Shopping through internet5. Generation gap & Mom’s Role: Disciplining

younger generation

Thank you!