The Importance of Internet Access in Developing Countries

The Importance of Internet Access in

Developing Countries

Ronald I. Carter

Global Studies and World Languages Academy

Tallwood High School

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Table Of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………. 2

Introduction……………………………………………… 3

Literature Review………………………………………. 4

Limitations………………………………………………. 6

References…………….………………………………... 12

Abstract

When the internet was first created it was a small network that was meant to allow scientist from

varying institutions to communicate and share information with each other regarding their
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findings. However the internet quickly became a huge network that with a vast array of uses.

Today the internet is no longer just a place for scientist in the US the internet is a place where

people from all over the world can go to communicate and find out information. For the most

part the internet is extremely beneficial and most of its negatives can be outweighed by its

benefits. Although the internet is extremely beneficial not everyone is able to enjoy its benefits.

Especially people in places like Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. This paper will attempt

to shed light on this issue in hopes that some day someone will find a sustainable solution to this

global issue

Introduction

Currently there are billions of websites on the internet broadcasting all sorts of current

events ranging from natural disasters to upcoming political elections. However not all countries

are able to benefit from this. In the United States we are fortunate enough that 73% of our
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population is able to access the internet and benefit from the numerous advantages of internet

access. However not all countries are this fortunate.

The Telegraph UK published an article that listed 35 countries that still are not able to

access the internet. The article also points out that most of these countries do not have access to

the internet due to civil unrest, war, and poverty. The problem with the world today is that we

have so much technology to offer however we waste it on countries that are already well off.

Instead of helping countries that are underdeveloped and have no access to the internet we focus

on improving and creating new more advanced technology in developed countries when we

could be bringing internet access to an isolated part of the world.

The benefits to bringing internet access to an isolated region of the world would be

tremendous. The theory of globalization states that it enhances prosperity in terms of the

economic development of the country and leads to proficient allocation of resources, which in

return leads to more employment higher standards of living, more outputs and lower prices.

The reason that i think that this is a good topic to discuss is because with all of the

technology that is available to us, it is becoming easier for us to connect to people all around the

world. Today people, especially students, are very active on social media because it helps them

stay connected, so we can clearly see the huge impact that the internet has on our lives. However

while we in developed countries are progressing, all of the people in regions of the world without

internet access are being left behind. Therefore in order for the world to flourish we must try to

bring internet access to developing countries around the world.

Literature Review

Per Capita income vs Internet access

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An investigation conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International

showed that Many of the least economically developed nations are in Sub saharan Africa and

Southeast Asia which happen to have the much lower internet rates in comparison to richer

developing countries (Jacob Poushter, 2016)

Countries with higher per capita incomes have more people online than do countries with lower

per capita incomes. Of the top 8 countries with the highest per capita incomes all of them are in

countries with advanced economies and all of them have over 85% of their population online.

Which shows a direct correlation between per capita income and internet access (Jacob Poushter,

2016.) While South Korea has the highest number of adults who use the internet or own a

smartphone, their GDP per capita is about 20,000 dollars less than the US, therefore as internet

access is growing so quickly, wealth may no longer contribute to a countries internet access

The Evolution of The Internet

I read many articles about the introduction of the internet and its development over time.

When the internet was first introduced it was nothing like it is today. It was a small network

meant to connect scientist so that they could share information with each other However over

time the internet transformed into something completely different. The internet became a

“Network of Networks” An article from an online database discusses the Internet Revolution. It

talks about the introduction of the World Wide Web and the Internet Age. Since its introduction

in the early 1980s , the internet has gained more than 3 billion users.

Disadvantages
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One online article discusses some disadvantages to the internet and being able to use it as

a way of communication. One disadvantage being that it makes people less socially adept and

creates a utopian online community which is not reflective of the real world.

This source shows that the internet is not perfect, and also makes my paper appear as

objective since I am not only discussing the advantages to internet access, but also showing how

internet access can have some negative effects on society. However overall access to the internet

is beneficial for a country's development.

Advantages

In contrast to the previous article another online article discusses some of the benefits of

internet access such as: Connectivity, Communication, and Sharing. It shows exactly how the

internet can benefit a whole country not only its people. This source shows the importance of

having internet access. By providing a complete list of advantages to the internet.

This article goes on to discusses the informational benefits to internet access. For instance

people are given access to an unlimited amount of information through search engines like

Google and Bing which contain millions of articles. Another benefit of the internet is

communication. Before the internet was created it would take a days ,at the least, to

communicate with anyone. However today with the use of email, text, apps and any other forms

of online chat, it is easy to communicate with people all over the globe. The internet also allows

us to use GPS technology. Many other activities like banking and shopping can also be done

online which can make it much easier to conduct everyday tasks. You can also donate money

and support a broad amount of charities online. Although it is a luxury the internet also provides

a large amount of entertainment. There is so much that is made possible by access to the internet.
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Limitations

While doing this paper I have found that I will have a few limitations to my research. I

was given about three months to conduct research and write my paper however for about a

month i was participating in a student exchange so I was very busy and was not able to conduct

as much research as I would've liked.

Another limitation is that since I live in country where the internet plays such huge role,

this paper may seem a bit biased towards developing countries. However I have done extensive

research to ensure that my findings are as objective as possible.

Another limitation is that since I am not an expert in the field I cannot ensure that this is a

practical solution. I can only speculate and hope that my proposal is satisfactory. Also since the

countries that I am focusing on are developing I do not have access to much information about

them, since they are isolated due to their lack of internet access and media outlets.

My research was limited due to the fact that I was not able to travel to these countries to

conduct physical research and had to rely solely on research conducted by others. All of my

research came from online sources so I cannot be fully assured that all of my information is

accurate. However I do assure guarantee that all of my information is accurate to the best of my

knowledge.

Main Body

Origins of The Internet

Many people are confused about the relationship between the internet and the web, in fact

some people even think that they are the same thing. However the Internet and the web are not
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synonymous at all. The Internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of

information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using

standardized communication protocols.” In the early 1970s the Advanced Research Projects

Agency (ARPA) was working on created the first computer network, known as ARPANET

which is most commonly known as the predecessor to the internet. ARPANET was initially

created as a way to communicate and share computer resources among scientists. However when

the resources were created to turn this Computer network into a network of multiple other

networks, such as the World Wide Web, the Internet was born.

The World Wide Web was created sometime between 1993 and 1995, it was known as a

“user friendly information-sharing network system.” It is simply a way of accessing information

via the internet. This vast network of information sharing created an economic surge in the

United States during the 1990s due to the creation of many web related companies like yahoo.

The internet also completely reshaped business, politics, and communication and even fueled

economic growth. Websites like MySpace, a social networking website; YouTube, a website on

which users can display videos, and Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia that can be written

and edited by its anyone, are credited with changing pop culture in the United States by giving

ordinary people the voices of professional journalists and challenging the way we typically view

the entertainment industry.

While Citizens in developed countries like The US and South Korea are fortunate enough

to benefit from internet access. People in countries like. Sri lanka, indonesia, and myanmar to

name a few. Don't even have access to the internet. On top of that people in countries like North

Korea and China can't even access much of their internet due to the heavy restrictions put in

place by their governments. This is a huge issue, because as I discussed earlier in the paper.
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Internet leads to innovation. When a country has internet then their people allowed to be more

innovative. The internet allowed people to create companies, like Amazon, Google, and

Facebook.

Advantages of Internet Access

Having access to the internet comes with numerous advantages such as knowledge,

Communication, and Collaboration. As I discussed earlier in the paper, people are allowed to be

more innovative and creative when they are able to use the internet. However I have not yet

discussed all of the other benefits to having internet access. One benefit of internet is the access

to information. With search engines like Google and Bing people can have the answer to any of

their questions in a matter of seconds. There is almost nothing that we cannot know. If we are

curious about an issue or a topic all we have to do is search it online and we have our answer.

However this isn't the case for people in developing countries. It is much more difficult for them

to find the answers to the questions that they have because unlike uss they can't just search a

question online. If they want to find the answer to a question then they have to find the

information out for themselves or unfortunately they are just left uninformed.

Another advantage to internet access has to do with communication and sharing. Now it

is easy to send an email to a person in another country and expect a response in just a few

minutes. Their are also online forums that connect people from all people over the world and

allow them to have in depth conversations online. With Apps like WhatsApp from different

countries around the world can even chat with each other via text and not have to worry about

extra costs or fees. The following interview was conducted for research purposes, to demonstrate

just how impactful the internet is todays society.

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What is your main method of communication?

Texting/ iMessage

How does the internet impact your life on a daily basis?

Im able to do my homework and it allows me to connect with friends and family around

the world and those close to me.

What are the top three things that you rely on your phone for?

Communication, Social Media, and a Camera

On a weekly basis about how many hours do you spend on your phone?

At least 50

How often do you rely on the internet to find out information?

I check every once in awhile to get different perspectives on current events.

How do you find out news? ( the internet, newspapers, online magazines, etc.)

Through newspapers (both online and paper), Tv and social media

Do you think that the internet is important?

Yes, with it, communication is easier as well as finding out information. With internet

access, you are able to know what is happening around the world as well as right in your

hometown. It makes it easier to complete tasks that would normally be more difficult, such as

online banking and getting in touch with family across the globe. Without access to the internet,

many people would have different lives than they do now

(M.Galupe, personal communication, December 18, 2017)

This article show just how much of an impact the internet has on the everyday lives of

americans.
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The only issue is, people in developing countries cannot benefit from these forms of

communication because they have no access to the internet.

Another benefit to internet access is the ability to fight against your government. For

example an article on transcperancy.org discusses an event in Kenya known as Hacks Against

Corruption,where hackers work on developing solutions to various societal problems. As

demonstrated by our constitution the ability to fight against your government is a very important

power to be able to have and the internet gives us the opportunity to do that. For example

websites like wikipedia and Based on this example one can easily see how a country might

benefit from internet access.

While we in developed countries are enjoying the benefits of Internet access people in

less developed countries like… are not. There seems to be a group of us who are enjoying the

ability to be able to access news and information but it seems that those not lucky enough to

benefit from internet access are just left out.

Internet aso encourages innovation. With access to the internet, ordinary citizens are

given the opportunity to start business. It allows the economy to flourish

Disadvantages of having internet access

While the internet has many advantages, some people would argue that the internet is not

so perfect. Some people believe that the we are too dependant on the internet and this will lead to

our downfall. These critics also say that the internet has a very negative effect on people's

personal lives, because instead of facing the real world we are quick to turn to the internet in

order to fix our issues. However this is not how it works in real life, in real life we cannot just

hide behind a screen and think that our issues will go away we have to solve our issues. The
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critics say that while we are spending so much time talking to people on the internet we are

becoming less socially competent which is a huge problem, because without the ability to

communicate in real life then we will not be able to conduct business or even function without

technological assistance

However the benefits of internet access undoubtedly outweigh the disadvantages. I must

point out that although access to internet will create more of a dependency on the internet, people

will not be completely dependent on the internet, since they do have to interact with people daily.

Even if people are addicted to their phones and the internet, they still have to go to work

everyday and interact with people in real life, they still have to drive around to get groceries.

There is a lot that we do that requires us to interact with real people and deal with real life

situations.

Conclusion

When the internet was first created it was introduced as a way to connect people all over

the world and communicate and share information. However it seems that over time as certain

countries have developed better than others, the internet has become a way to connect people in

developing countries while excluding people in developing countries like sri lanka, indonesia,

and Myanmar. In order to help create a better world we must find a way to connect people all

over the globe and not only in developing countries. With worldwide access to the internet the

benefits would be enormous we would see a world in which worldwide… would exist and

maybe even a global… The possibilities would be endless.

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References

(n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2017, from

http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/cs181/projects/personal-lives/debate.html

This article discusses some disadvantages to the internet and being able to use it as a way

of communication. One disadvantage being that it makes people less socially adept and creates a

utopian online community which is not reflective of the real world.

I think that this is a good source to use for my paper because it shows that the internet is

not perfect, and also makes my paper appear as objective since i am not only discussing the

advantages to internet access, but also showing how internet access can have some negative

effects on society. However overall access to the internet is beneficial for a country's

development.

What are the advantages of the Internet? (2017, September 15). Retrieved December 18, 2017,

from https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001808.htm

This article discusses some of the benefits of internet access, Connectivity,

Communication, and Sharing. It shows exactly how the internet can benefit not only people, but

also whole countries.

This is a good source for my paper because it shows the importance of having internet

access. This article provides a complete list of advantages to the internet.

This article discusses the informational benefits to internet access. People are given

access to an unlimited amount of information through search engines like Google and Bing
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which contain millions of articles. Another benefit of the internet is communication. Before the

internet it would take a long time to communicate with anyone, but today with the use of email,

text, apps and any other forms of online chat, it is easy to communicate with people all over the

globe. The internet also allows us to use GPS technology which can be very useful. Many day to

day activities can also be done online like banking and shopping which can make it much easier

to conduct everyday tasks. You can also donate money and support a broad amount of charities

online. Although it is a luxury the internet also provides a large amount of entertainment.

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchRe

sultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=2&docId=GALE%7CC

X3048900307&docType=Topic+overview&sort=RELEVANCE&contentSegment=&prodId=G

VRL&contentSet=GALE%7CCX3048900307&searchId=R1&userGroupName=va_s_128_0920

&inPS=true

This article talks about the internet revolution, its history and how its changed over time. This

article discusses the introduction of the world wide web or www. And the internet's

transformation from a small information sharing network into an enormous, diverse network of

networks connecting people all over the world and providing people with information.

This is a great article for my paper because it talks about how the internet has changed

and shaped society. It provides some background information about the importance of the

internet and also how it is and can be used.

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchRe

sultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=3&docId=GALE%7CC

X2560000153&docType=Legislation&sort=RELEVANCE&contentSegment=&prodId=GVRL
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&contentSet=GALE%7CCX2560000153&searchId=R1&userGroupName=va_s_128_0920&inP

S=true

This link talks about the global internet act which was introduced to the US HR in 2002 as an act

that would counter the censorship of the internet by various countries outside of the United

States.

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchRe

sultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=14&docId=GALE%7C

CX3776200015&docType=Topic+overview&sort=RELEVANCE&contentSegment=&prodId=

GVRL&contentSet=GALE%7CCX3776200015&searchId=R1&userGroupName=va_s_128_09

20&inPS=true

This article just talks about industry and how it has changed since the internet came into

the picture.

This is a good article for my paper because it shows exactly how the internet leads to

innovation and provides concrete examples of historical figures that have been made successful

due to the introduction of the internet.

The article discusses the way american industry has changed since the introduction of the

internet, and how the internet fueled economic growth. Which proves my point that the internet

is very important for developing countries who want to have advanced developed economies

some day

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?resultListType=RELATED_DOCUMENT&searchType=

BasicSearchForm&userGroupName=va_s_128_0920&inPS=true&contentSegment=&prodId=G

VRL&isETOC=true&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE|CX3048400021&searchId=R1&tabID=

T003
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This link just give an introduction into the internet age and explains how it came to be.

https://ceschmidt.weebly.com/research-paper.html

The effect of social media on defining societal norms for women around the world

Where 14 Of The Top Internet Businesses Got Started. (2017, May 16). Retrieved December 18,

2017, from https://www.incomediary.com/where-14-of-the-top-internet-businesses-were-started

This link has a list of major web companies

Internet. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2017, from

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/internet?s=t

Dictionary.com

Poushter, J. (2016, February 22). 1. Internet access growing worldwide but remains higher in

advanced economies. Retrieved December 18, 2017, from

http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/02/22/internet-access-growing-worldwide-but-remains-higher-

in-advanced-economies/

This article talks about the ubiquity of the internet in developed nations, it also talks about how

although internet access is growing in developing countries it is not yet even close to the amount

of access that developing countries have.

Sang-Hun, C. (2013, January 07). American Delegation Arrives in North Korea on Controversial

Private Trip. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from Sang-Hun, C. (2013, January 07). American

Delegation Arrives in North Korea on Controversial Private Trip. Retrieved December 18, 2017,
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from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/world/asia/bill-richardson-and-eric-schmidt-of-

google-visit-north-korea.html

In this Article by Choe-Sang-Hun In 2013 a group of American Delegates including Eric

Schmidt, the Executive Chairman of Google, took a trip to North Korea. This is strange

considering the fact that North Korea is so secluded from the rest of the world in terms of

technology and Internet Access.

This is a good source to use for my paper, because it talks about how the dictator of

North Korea Kim Jong-Un shields every north korean citizen from the outside world by

restricting their internet access, only allowing a very small portion of North Korea's Elite to use

the internet.

In the Article the author discusses the skepticism that the state department had about the

trip and Schmidt’s reasoning for going. Schmidt explains that he wanted to go because he was

“interested in some of the economic issues there, the social media aspect.” this relates to my

project because my project is dealing with how we can use the internet to become more aware of

other cultures and bring the world together, but this article offers a contrasting perspective,

showing us how the internet is actually being used in some places to pull the world apart.

Choe Sang-hun And Claire Cain Miller. (2013, January 29). A New Target for Google Maps:

The Streets of North Korea. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/world/asia/google-maps-new-target-secretive-north-

korea.html
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This article by Choe Sang-Hun and Claire Cain Miller of the New York Times shows a

recent development in google maps. Recently north Korea received a relatively detailed map due

to “a community of citizen cartographers” who helped to build the map.

This is a great article for my paper because it shows how far technology has come and

how we can use it to connect ourselves to other communities around the world; for instance

North Korea who prefers to Isolate itself from the rest of the world. This new development can

also help us fight against all of the humanitarian violations and the nuclear threats in North

Korea which could save us from a major global issue.

The article also says that Eric E. Schmidt google's executive chairman tried to convince

North Korean officials that he met in pyongyang to allow more koreans to use the internet in an

email Schmidt said “it sheds a bit more light on what is happening in this remote country.”

Gross, D. (2013, April 15). Google boss: Entire world will be online by 2020. Retrieved

November 28, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/tech/web/eric-schmidt-

internet/index.html

In this article by Doug Gross of CNN, Eric Schmidt the executive chairman of google

explains why he believes that by 2020 the entire world will have access to the internet.

This is a good article for my paper because it shows that my project idea is not far fetched

since there are actually efforts already happening to bring the world together through the

internet. Another reason that this is article is useful for my paper is because it also addresses

skepticism that some people had about Schmidt's statement.

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This article shows some of the efforts that are being made in order to connect the world

via internet access and every minute these efforts are becoming more and more realistic. This

article from 2013 says that 38% of the world uses internet which is a 3% increase from the year

prior. The article also discusses the issue of underdeveloped and isolated countries which may

not have internet access and how to deal with those areas. For example one effort is being made

by a nonprofit group called “Geeks Without Frontiers” which is an organization that donates

computers and other technology to poor areas around the world. This organization is also now

making efforts to bring internet access to regions around the world who do not have it.

Written by Emma Luxton, Formative Content. (n.d.). 4 billion people still don't have internet

access. Here's how to connect them. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/4-billion-people-still-don-t-have-internet-access-here-

s-how-to-connect-them/

This Article on World Economic Forum says that over 4 billion people around the world

still do not have access to the internet and gives concrete examples of how to solve the issue.

One reason that this is a good article for my paper is because it not only stresses the

importance of bringing internet to underdeveloped regions of the world and what we can do to

about this issue. but it also shows why some regions of the world don't already have access to the

internet which is important because if we can better understand why countries don't already have

internet access then we can solve the issue much more adequately.

The first paragraph of this article stresses the importance of bringing internet access to

the world, because if people do not have access to the internet then they are missing out on very

important benefits such as health, education, and financial services. The article also says that
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affordable internet access is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals which also shows

just how important it is for us to bring internet access to underdeveloped regions of the world.

Globalization. (2017, November 25). Retrieved November 28, 2017, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization

This Wikipedia Page gives information about the history and modern significance of

globalization. This will be a useful source for my paper because it shows the cultural and social

aspects of globalization as well as the economic aspect. Although wikipedia is not considered a

credible source, It is a good starting point because it contains a lot of basic information to give a

general understanding globalization.