ICT infrastructure and economic growth: a critical assessment and some policy implications

Abstract

This study explores the ways and means behind evolving ICT infrastructure’s direct or indirect effect on economic growth within a conceptual framework. Advances in digital technologies, their role, and significance in techno managerial ICT solutions are examined to provide a knowledge base for assessing capabilities, possibilities, and utilities to researchers, economists, policy and decision makers for optimal resources utilization, and stimulating economic growth. Besides contributing to the fields of information systems research and growth literature, few indicators are listed for consideration in economic analysis. This broadens vision for optimizing systems infrastructure, innovation activities, and helps establish their effects on growth. The study proposes that supporting policies in combination with adequate funds provision, stable government, macro-economic determinants, and innovation environment are crucial for ICT-induced prosperity. Additionally, countries need to promote e-commerce and e-governance activities with adequate R&D support, technical support, deployment of probots knowbots and chatbots powered by artificial intelligence, autonomic computing applications, transfer of technology to industry and society, enforcement toward acceptance of digitization, and use-based rewards. The study is useful in decision-making for managers, ICT-professionals, and entrepreneurs to assess ICT solutions with economic benefits; facilitates ICT infrastructure requirement analysis, planning, and deployments with their socio-economic implications.