Analytical modelling of Internet provision and usage in context of development through a utility based framework

Abstract: Information and communication technology and development (ICTD) is a research area that has broadly captured the attention of the public and the academics in the last two decades. It deals with the interaction and the relations between the humans and the society in general on one side and the technology on the other side. The focus in this thesis is on the computing and communication technology, herein referred to as the “Internet – the IP based technology”, which is seen as one of the enablers for economic and social growth.The benefit of the Internet connectivity and usage in inducing and enhancing positive social changes in basic dimensions of human life is generally accepted as one of the most important drivers for development. The success and the inevitability of the Internet in the developed world underline its proliferation and diffusion essential in less developed countries. However, sometimes these processes are being impaired by unintended and intended consequences created by the social dynamics that drives the current information technological innovations and evolutions, stakeholders’ desire of fulfilling one’s utility egos, all coupled with market environments.This thesis takes an insight in both unintended and intended implications and their effects on enabling development in the environments where the Internet Protocol (IP) based infrastructures are limited like in Least Developing regions/countries.  The results of this insight study have led in;a)      Establishing the basic Internet services that would trigger the exploitation of one’s potential for development.This has been achieved through the use of analytical scientific methods to classify Internet traffic characteristics and derive the relevance levels of their corresponding Internet services groups in fostering development.b)      Developing a framework that lays down structure guidelines to facilitate Decision Makers especially in least developed countries to make scientifically informed subjective judgements for Internet services in the context of development.c)      Designing and developing of the Internet Services in the Context of Developing (ISCD) model that enables the alignment of the apparent divergent/misalignment objectives of Internet stakeholders in the present Internet structure to have their respective maximised intended benefits.Empirical testing of the model led in setting strategic options for aligning stakeholders goals in view of the ISCD along two main domains (i) network management policies – that focuses on provisions of services, and (ii) Internet consumption/usage – that focus on services relevance, commensurability to specific requirements as pertains LDCs, and services delivery mechanism convergence to all-IP.