In the limited time left today, I would like to identify a few of the most important policy parameters that make up an environment friendly to electronic commerce. Participation in the global information society first and foremost requires widespread, reliable and affordable access to the internet. Competition in the telecommunications market brings lower prices, greater innovation and improved quality of services for consumers. Lower rates stimulate greater usage of the network, including the internet. One of the biggest challenges for the developing world is to build the national and international internet backbones that make low cost network access possible.
Private investment can help.
The rapid worldwide explosion in the growth and use of new technologies would not have occurred without private investment and competition. Literally thousands of service providers worldwide are investing tens of billions of dollars in new IT infrastructure. In addition, there is likely to be a significant role for development assistance in helping developing countries put this infrastructure in place. A host of new technologies may make the job easier for new entrants. New technologies like wireless and satellite can connect communities in remote or rural areas at a fraction of the cost of hard wired systems.