Few would argue against the promise that technologies hold for development. Yet many critics question whether ICT-related projects and initiatives aimed at poor populations in developing countries should be given high priority, especially given the pressing need to provide basic infrastructure and services to these same populations.

infoDev

While the One Laptop Per Child Initiative—the formal name of the project initiated by Nicholas Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab—is the most prominent initiative of this sort, many other projects and programs are currently underway.  These are aimed at providing inexpensive computing devices (including laptops, mobile phones, and PDAs) to poor people, for use in a number of development areas, particularly education. 

Despite the explosion of interest in and discussion about this topic, it is difficult to find consolidated information about who is doing what, and what some of the related issues, concerns and challenges are.  In support of a variety of upcoming initiatives in this area, infoDev is maintaining a short list of resources which provide the latest news, and information on projects and initiatives in this area.