World Telecommunication Development Report 2003: Access Indicators for the Information Society

Prepared for the first phase of the WSIS, a toolkit comprised of indicators for measuring access to ICTs and a summary of the current state of global readiness for the information society. As the information society is changing our lifestyles and access to new technologies grows, the need to rethink traditional indicators and statistical methodologies is imperative. In order to study trends and form comparisons, new indicators must consider not only technological infrastructure, but also the affordability and usability of ICTs. Highlights data collection challenges in both developed and developing countries. This report consists of six chapters which cover the following topics: the context of the changing information society and the need for new indicators; indicators for different policy objectives that measure individual, household, and community access to ICTs; measuring ICT access in electronic commerce sectors such as business, government, public administration, and schools; the relationship between ICT indicators and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); the comparative study of the accessibility of ICTs in 180 different countries through the ITU Digital Access Index (DAI); and recommendations for improving information society indicators. Also offers latest ICT indicators for 200 countries.