INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY
Lesson 1: Information and Communication Technology:
Dimensions, Benefits, and Challenges
 Information and communication technology (ICT) is an integral part
of the development of the modern world. Its development can be seen
from the invention of the first modern postal system, to the invention
of the telephone, and the first computer. The age of Industrial
Revolution has produced numerous inventions and advances that
allowed for faster production and distribution of different goods and
services than ever before. Aside from improvement in infrastructure
and transportation, the field of ICT also saw immense progress during
his period. This includes the invention of better printing methods, the
telegraph and telegraph cables, and later on the telephone. The novelty
of ICT during the Age of Industrial Revolution is in the actual invention
of the technology, which resulted in ground breaking interconnectivity
across countries and continents that have never been seen before.
Today’s ICT, however, with computers, the internet and mobile phones, are
not only ground breaking in terms of the actual invention but in the
unparalleled accessibility to a lot of people. Today’s ICT is produced cheap
enough to be accessible to the average worker, which would have been
unthinkable during the industrial revolution. Today’s ICT also has a wider
coverage and involves a greater number of medium.
Executive order no. 269 signed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
defined Information and Communication Technology as ”The Totality of
Electronic means to collect, store ,process, and present information to end-
users in support of their activities. It consist among others of computer
system, office systems, and consumer electronics, as well as networked
information infrastructure, the components of which include the telephone
system, the internet, fax machines, and computers”. Various services and
applications are also associated which ICT like video, conferencing and
distance learning.
 LESSON 1
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY:
DIMENSIONS, BENEFITS, AND CHALLENGES

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) traces its

beginning during the Industrial Revolution. It is considered as a
sector that falls under the larger umbrella of Information
Economy(IE), and economy characterized by the intensive used
of ICT by businesses for the collection, storage, processing and
transmission of information. ICT industries enable the
processing, communication, transmission and display of
information using electronic means. What is ICT? What are the
main industries in the ICT sector? How does ICT contribute to
Philippine and world economy?
 NATURE OF ICT
Information and Communication Technology or Technologies, usually
abbreviated as ICT, refers to a category of terms that cover any form of
communication device or application, including radio, television, cellular phones,
computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, and the various
services and applications related with them, such as videoconferencing and
distance learning. The development of ICT traces its roots from as far back as the
Industrial Revolution but it is still considered as a relatively new sector in
contributing to the Philippine economy. The unprecedented growth of the ICT
industry in the past decades has helped the world economy increase as well. The
World Economic Forum confirmed that studies from various countries show the
positive effect of ICT on economic growth.
 A 10% increase in broadband penetration, for example, is associated with a 14% increase
in GDP growth in emerging economies. This number is almost double in China where there is
an increase of as much as 2.5%. The doubling of mobile data use due to an increase of 3G
connections has helped boost GDP per capita growth rate by 0.5% globally. E-commerce,
which is largely produced by people advertising and selling goods online through the use of
Internet, has led to increase of 3.4% in the GDP in some economies. The Philippines has
similarly experienced this upward trend in the use of ICT in its industries. In 2010, a survey of
the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) has reported that about 97% of the 2,122 IE
establishments used computer and other hardware in their business operations. This is
slightly higher than the 96.1% reported in 2009 and the 91.1% recorded in 2008. The same
survey has also reported an increase in Internet access with nine in every ten establishments
nationwide is reported to have Internet access in 2010.
This is higher than the 81.7% in 2008 and the 88.4% in 2009. The Region at 94.8% while
the lowest is Cagayan Valley at 61.3%. Nowadays, it is almost unthinkable for any business to
run without the use of ICT. Some examples if ICT industry segments include broadcast media,
semiconductors and electronics, IT and business process management ( IT-BPM), software
applications and telecommunications.
 FOUR DIMENSIONS OF ICT
The far-reaching implications of ICT not just in business but also in
the delivery of social services have made it a part of the global agenda
of the United Nations. The World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS), which took place in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005, was the
first major United Nations event dedicated in relating the use of ICT in
improving people’s quality of life and for them to reach their fullest
potential within the larger framework of sustainable development and
human right. ICT is built on four dimensions –Computing,
Communications , content, and human capacity – although less focus
was given to computers in the WSIS forum.
1. COMPUTING

Continuous innovation in the types of computer technology have been taking

place so much that today’s networks and devices are capable or more complicated
and sophisticated functions than those in 2003 and 2005. Moore’s Law is used to
describe the pace of change in ICT capabilities. This law makes the observation that
the capacity of critical ICT components, networks , and devices has been doubling
every eighteen months to two years for the past five dedicates. This has a
tremendous impact on the capabilities of networks and devices not just at present
but on the opportunities for even more explosive growth in the future. Some of the
emerging trends in computer technology are the transition to broadband, cloud
computing and the cloud economy, datafication, data management and big data
analysis and the use of smart system.
 TRANSITION TO BROADBAND

World Bank and the Broadband Commission have described broadband

as a high-speed Internet access, which is always on and capable of
undertaking multiple service provisions and functions. This definition
render the traditional threshold of 256 kbps obsolete since it can no longer
support many of today’s computer applications. Broadband networks in
developed countries have rapidly become the norm for regular households
but its deployment in developing countries is taking place at a much
slower pace in 2014, developed countries had an estimated average fixed
broadband penetration rate of 27.5%, which is significantly higher than the
6.1% in developing countries and 0.3% in Less Developed Countries
( LDCs).
 CLOUD COMPUTING AND THE CLOUD ECONOMY

Cloud computing is another innovation in the field of computer

technology. Limited storage, corruption of files, expensive cost of
computation, and application hosting are just among the problem
computer users encounter when they store their files in their personal
hard drive of when they develop their own software programs. Cloud
computing dresses these problems by connecting a large pool of
systems, whether public or private, in order to provide an infrastructure
for computation, data and file storage.
 DATAFICATION, DATA MANAGEMENT, AND BIG DATA ANALYSIS

In today’s data-oriented landscape, datafication is important in ensuring

that business organization and other similar establishments have total
control over the storage, extraction, and manipulation of data and other
information. Business organization rely on data and extracted knowledge
and information to perform necessary transaction and operations. Data are
also used for decision-making, strategizing, and other similar objectives.
Datafication is the term used to describe an organization trend to the
process of putting together all the tools and technology needed to
transform a business into a data-driven enterprise. Dataficaton takes place
mostly in developed countries where there is already a reliable and high-
quality communication infrastructure but is also expected to rise in
developing countries with the continuous upgrade of their computing and
communication capabilities.
 SMART SYSTEM

In today’s world, it is not enough that you have a computer

technology or that you have a mobile phone that keeps you connected.
The system that runs them has to be “smart”, thus paving the way for
smart phones, smart TV, and smart cars. A smart system uses a
feedback loop of data, which provides information for a sound decision-
making. This system monitors, measures, analyses, communicates, and
acts based on the information captured by the sensor. There are
varying levels of smart system. A smart system may track usage and
performance data to help designers create a more efficient version.
2. COMMUNICATIONS

One of the most dramatic changes that have taken place in the
field od communications is the rapid spread of mobile telephony.
Before the advent of mobile networks, teledensity or the number of
telephone connections per one hundred people in a specified
geography area, in many less developed countries is less than 1%. By
2010, mobile teledensity in developing countries had reached an
astounding two-thirds of population. Greater connectivity is also
facilitated by the fact that mobile telephones can offer viable Internet
access.
Other trends that have emerged since 2010 are:
 Mobile phones now perform multiple other functions aside from its
primary purpose as a telephone. It is now a digital device that can
serve the function of a radio, a camera, a flashlight, an alarm clock, an
audio and video player, and many more.
 The spread of 3G connections and available Wi-Fi connections have
increased the use of Internet access through mobile phones making it
possible to access one’s email address, do online banking, and video
chat using a handheld device. In developing countries, a high
proportion of Internet user are obtaining access through mobile
devices although not necessarily from mobile phones. Mobile Internet
user gain access through cybercafés and other public access facilities.
 The price of mobile handsets and mobile phone usage has been falling.
Competition is high not just in the high-end market of mobile phones but
also in the low-end market. Although affordability remains a challenge in
low income countries, mobile phones today are cheapest now than it has
ever been.
 The widespread availability and use of smart phones has led to the
creation of new mobile application (“apps”), or small computer programs
that allow mobile devices to substitute for personal computers.
 Tablet computer have also emerged with built-in functions of personal
computers in portable devices and designed to be continuously online
and use cloud services. As with smart phones the use of tablet
computers has increase following its adoption of government and
international agencies, which sees it as an important development tool.
3. CONTENT

The meaningful usage and deployment of ICT is carried out if it is

applied to specific development goals like literacy, poverty reduction,
and sustainable development. This means that the relevance of ICT is
tied to its ability to be integrated into the delivery of traditional services
like education, business, and employment. Transformation of these
traditional services means having an e-learning ,e-business, and e-
employment.
4. HUMAN CAPACITY

It is important to acquire all the necessary skills and knowledge

related to ICT in order to understand, participate actively in , and
benefit fully from ICT and the knowledge economy. Improving human
capacity means ICT in education and training at all levels of society
including distance learning. It also involves the promotion of e-literacy
skills, particularly for women and girls, young people, and other
disadvantaged groups. Lastly, there has to be capacity-building among
leaders and operational staff in developing countries and less
developed countries, including local communicate on the rural and
underserved areas, and information professionals.
 BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES IN ICT
During periods of slow growth and uncertainty in the market, more
economies are looking for ways to stimulate growth and create new
jobs, ICT does not only provide jobs to million of people around the
world, but it is also a stimulant of innovation and business expansion.
New and more advance technologies are needed for the continuous
competitiveness of businesses and an indispensable tool for industry
leaders to stay on top.
1.DIRECT JOB CREATION

The ICT industry is, and continues to be one of the largest sources of
employment. In the United States, jobs in the ICT sector are expected
to grow by 22% thereby creating 758,800 new jobs in Australia, the
building and running of the new National Broadband Network us
expected to create 25,000 jobs annually. In 2013, the global technology
market grew by 8% creating jobs, salaries, and a wide range of products
and services that not only help individual persons and businesses, but
more importantly, contribute to the continuing growth of the Gross
Domestic Product(GDP).
2.EMERGENCE OF NEW SERVICES AND INDUSTRIES

The emergence of ICT paved the way for public services to gain
greater accessibility by using online channels and mobile phones. The
key trend for modernization is the transition to cloud computing. The
government of Moldova is one of the first countries in eastern Europe
and central Asia to shift the government IT infrastructure into the cloud
and started using mobile and e-services for its citizen and businesses.
ICT has also lead to the creation of a completely new sector, which is
the app industry. Studies show that Facebook app alone has created
more than 182,000 jobs in 2011, and that the aggregate value of the
Facebook app economy exceeds USD 12 Billion.
3. TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORKFORCE

ICT has pushed the boundaries of the work structure. Being employed
nowadays does not have to mean being physically present in an actual
company establishment. A new platform called “microwork”, which is
literally the smallest unit of work in a virtual assembly line, can employ
people located at remotest of areas and bring income to their household
without even stepping out of their abode . The new business model is
developed by companies like Upwork, Amazon, and Samasource which
allows people to sign up online.This change the structure of the work
force has contributed of the rise access all the need tools and information,
marketing and even investment resources to ensure a successful
enterprise.
4. BUSINESS INNOVATION

ICT provides all the needed tools for business expansion and
innovation. These days days, most business prefer to fully employ all
that ICT has to offer in terms of bringing more efficiency in the
manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of their goods and services.
Countries that belong to the Organization for Economy Cooperation
and Development (OECD) were reported to have more than 95% of
their business having an online presence.
 While the potential benefits of ICT are abundant, some challenges
still needs to be addressed in order to maximize the full gains from
investing in this technology.

1. COMPUTING- personal computers are still prohibitively expensive

for many. Some of the other costs that come with computer
ownership come from maintenance of security, upgrades,
compatibility of the hardware and software, and adding accessory
devices like printers, scanners, speakers and the like.
Complimentary technologies that are non-PC devices like mobile
phones should be made into a viable option.
2. CONNECTIVITY- mobile telephony has improved worldwide but its
still remains expensive, limited, and unreliable in rural areas and
remote islands, and poor at providing data connection.
3. CONTENT- in several cases, content is not meaningful or locally
relevant to the end users. The system today tends to make the
producers of local information. In additional, rich content required
multimedia, which, in turn, requires a consistent and reliable
broadband connectivity.

4. HUMAN CAPACITY- computer literacy remains a challenge. Users

need to be aware, literate, and innovative to maximize the full gains
from ICT. Just as reading and mathematical literacy are considered as
priorities and necessities by both the state and society, the same
should be true for ICT. ICT is a language of its own. People are
empowered if they can master this language.
 ICT AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
The influence of ICT is no longer confined in the fields of technology,
business, or in the academe. The political sphere has also felt the
presence of this worldwide phenomenon. ICT through social media has
been proven capable of ushering social movements. Britannica has
defined social movement as a loosely organized but sustained
campaign which supports a social goal. This goal can either be an
implementation or the prevention of a change in societies structure or
values. The size of social movements differs but the action is essentially
collective. People more or less gather together in a spontaneous
fashion driven by a common outlook on a specific issue that concerns
the larger society.