Internet use (and non-use) among urban microenterprises in the developing world: an update from India
Jonathan Donner · 2006
This paper draws on interviews and observational visits with small businesses in urban India to explore the ways in which the internet is–and is not–used by small and informal businesses in the developing world. These “microenterprises” with five or fewer employees face significant challenges to survival and growth. Among development practitioners and government policymakers, there is a great deal of enthusiasm surrounding the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to increase the productivity and vitality of the microenterprise segment. Yet many questions persist about precisely how and to what extent this group of firms could effectively use ICTs, particularly the internet. The paper considers internet use against a broad context of other communication and information behaviors, including face-to-face interpersonal communication, traditional mass media use, and new mediated communication options, particularly mobile telephony. It argues that ‘convergence’ between the mobile telephone and the internet might be particularly relevant for this segment, many of whom have business needs that are better served by mobile phones rather than the PC-based internet.