The Information Economy Report 2017 analyzes the evolving digital economy and its implications for trade and development. While these are still early days of the digital economy it is already clear that it will have globally transformative impacts on the way we live work and develop our economies. As the world strives to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development harnessing the power of information and communications technologies (ICTs) is essential. Large parts of the developing world remain disconnected from the Internet and many people lack access to high-speed broadband connectivity. Policymaking at the national and international levels needs to mitigate the risk that digitalization could widen existing divides and create new gaps. Since increased reliance on digital technologies such as cloud computing three-dimensional printing big data and “the Internet of things” it is essential to start assessing opportunities and pitfalls alike and to prepare for what is coming. The analysis contained in the report contributes to this process and proposes ways in which the international community can reduce inequality enable the benefits of digitalization to reach all people and ensure that no one is left behind by the evolving digital economy.

One of the few monitoring global trends related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) from a development perspective this publication is a valuable reference for policymakers in developing countries. Special attention is given to ICTs in accelerating private sector development (PSD) in developing countries. Many national and donor strategies related to PSD fail to take adequate account of the ICT potential which has greatly expanded thanks to changes in the global ICT landscape. Different facets of the ICT-PSD interface are explored including: ICT infrastructure as a factor in the investment climate; ICT use by the private sector; the ICT sector as a part of the private sector and finally ICT use in interventions aimed at facilitating PSD.

The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times (IER 2009) is the fourth in a series published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report is one of the few publications to monitor global trends in information and communication technologies (ICTs) as they affect developing countries. It serves as a valuable reference for policymakers in those nations. It gives special attention to the impact of the global financial crisis on ICTs. The report offers a fresh assessment of the diffusion of key ICT applications between 2003 and 2008. It includes chapters on the use of ICTs in the business sector and on the impact of the financial crisis on ICT trade.

The present edition of the Report provides unique data on the adoption of ICT by enterprises in developing countries. It also explores ICT policy options in a developing-country context and proposes a framework for national ICT policy reviews and for the design and assessment of pro-poor e-strategies. The Report’s analysis of trends in core ICT indicators such as the use of Internet and mobile phone as well as the role of broadband in promoting the information economy concludes that the diffusion of ICT in developing countries still needs government intervention in areas where private providers might be discouraged to go because of costs associated to geographic hurdles or the absence of a critical mass of customers.