ICT adoption and social change in rural South Asia: A case study of grameen telecom in Bangladesh

Abstract

Studies on social construction of technology have interesting insights. Some scholars consider that technocrats in large technological systems manipulate the needs and aspirations of their consumers. While others feel certain strategic confrontations among various social agents, fighting for social positions of power, dictate the trajectory of technology in society. Looking at any technological system from the developing countries perspective adds further dimensions to the whole story of technology adoption in society. This paper on telecommunications in rural Bangladesh studies some of these aspects and focuses on innovations adopted by Grameen Telecom to offer universal access through a system of shared resources of mobile telephones. The Village Phone system is claimed to be a panacea to the problem of telecom adoption in developing countries. The success of which might inspire decision makers throughout the developing world to replicate these innovations to fight poverty and foster rural developments through ICT.