And that is what the Japanese seem to understand. Now look at the rest of the world. There is only one telephone for every ten people in South America, compared to seven for every ten in North America. Literacy is 19.2 percent in Burkina Faso and 27.5 percent in Nepal, compared to 99 percent in Japan. It takes electricity to power a computer, money to buy one, and knowledge to operate one.
Local governments establish barriers as well.
In Myanmar, anyone who owns a computer must report that fact to the Government or face a 15-year prison term. Others, such as China, run their own official Internet service providers and filter out whatever they consider offensive content. Many governments treat computers like luxury goods and impose high tariffs on them. Others maintain investment restrictions that keep out foreign IT companies and their expertise. The dream of a wired world is a noble one.