The Internet and poverty: real help or real hype? Panos Briefing No. 28

Governments, donors and development organisations are rushing to realise the benefits that Internet access promises in the fight against poverty. But are the benefits it has brought so far merely isolated examples or are they signs that a revolution is underway? Access to information is an essential condition of development. The Internet has prompted a change in development thinking and many donor and multilateral lending organisations are radically reshaping their policies for the new information age. But is the enthusiasm among donors for spending on Internet development diverting funds from more traditional forms of development assistance? In terms of its most adaptive component, the World Wide Web, the Internet is still only four years old. Real hype or real help? The jury is still out. Quite simply, it is still too soon to tell.