ET-ICT Assisted Dev SIM (FY05)

closed

The Ethiopia Information and Communication Technology Assisted Development Project aims to assist communities to improve their livelihood through the use of appropriate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that facilitate increased access to markets, development information, and public services. The project consists of two components: 1) Policy and Institutional Support: This component will establish an enabling environment for the growth of the ICT sector by supporting a comprehensive assessment of the existing policy, regulatory and legal framework, particularly in the areas of information technology, telecom, information sharing, and internet. It will also strengthen capacity of the key institutions that regulate the sector, provide services, or manage the reform process. 2) Application and Community Support: An important objective of the Government's ICT development program is to increase connectivity and to provide access to communications services throughout the country. International experience suggests that the expansion of communications network is strongly correlated with economic growth, and that access to communications in rural areas diminishes the urban/rural economic disparities, provides access to market information, and facilitates service delivery in health, education and other areas thereby reinforcing the poverty reduction contribution of ICTs.