Not a MyNAP member yet? Register for a free account to start saving and receiving special member only perks. This chapter begins by describing a framework, presented in terms of Internet supply and demand, in which a discussion of the impacts of the Internet can be understood. Indicators are then offered to-help analyze possible direct and indirect impacts of the Internet. The indicators are intended as tools, with different indicators useful for different analyses.
Thus, a development agency, an investor, or a local policymaker likely would each use different sets of indicators. As noted in the Introduction, the indicators suggested in this report were developed in the African context and in particular based on the committee's field research in Senegal and Ghana and to a lesser extent Kenya.
However, the indicators are intended to apply to other countries as well. All of the indicators are presented in tabular format in Appendix C. The supply side refers to the Internet service providers ISPs themselves and the services they offer. In Ghana and Senegal there are both commercial providers and nonprofit organizations providing Internet access to individuals and organizations.
The supply side also refers to the environment in which ISPs operate. This environment includes governmental policies and regulations, the country's telecommunications infrastructure, and the general environment that affects the offer and use of Internet services, such as economic conditions, level of education and literacy, and population characteristics.
The demand side includes those who use Internet services—for example, individuals and organizations—and the way in which Internet services are used and the factors that affect their use.
