Information communication technologies and poverty reduction in rural ethiopia : challenges and prospects : household level analysis

Abstract: A number of findings revealed that access to information communication technologies has a positive impact on the living conditions of rural societies if it used in appropriate way. Now a day, many of these thoughts disregard the primitive approaches on ICT application that considers luxury goods and service rather than its importance. In this regard, rural Ethiopia is one of those places with low access and affordability of ICT’s due to various reasons. This paper tried to see the prevailing challenges and opportunities behind the application of these technologies in line with poverty reduction. Specifically, it addressed the existing relationship between application of communication technologies and poverty including preconditions required in optimizing a range of information communication technologies, the way how these technologies benefit various actors working in rural areas and also the main determinants of household spending on these technologies. Household level survey was conducted in southern Ethiopia where primary data is collected. The predetermined research questions were addressed by using descriptive and statistical method. The analysis revealed that various socio economic features of the society including age, gender, marital status and family size are related with the application of information communication technologies in multiple ways. Further, it is observed that lack of awareness by households on the broad importance of these technologies, presence of gap between policy and its implementation regarding the application of diverse communication technologies and low level of interconnection among different institutions working in the area are the main findings. Moreover, the paper found that households’ spending is highly correlated with cash crop producers, availability of information communication technologies infrastructure in the area, available farm size and single individuals in the society.