Introduction
The service I would like to provide in Bangladesh is a digital literacy training program for rural communities. I would choose a rural location with a small number of Internet users and conduct education sessions for the population to improve their digital literacy. In particular, I plan to expose people in this community to computers and the Internet and show them the multiple benefits they can gain from using this technology. After a basic introduction to the Internet and computers, I intend to provide them with some fundamental knowledge about MS Office and Google products, such as Gmail and Google Search. The aim of providing this service would be to familiarize the rural Bangladeshi population with the advantages of using computers and the Internet. This service would also show them how these instruments can be used not only for entertainment but also for learning and business.
A Rationale for the Service
The proposed digital literacy service is necessary in Bangladesh for several reasons. As was identified in part 1, Bangladesh has an underdeveloped telecommunication infrastructure, which hinders its economic development. In particular, estimates show that only about 13% of the country’s population uses the Internet, and the rate of fixed broadband subscriptions is only 5.78 per 100 inhabitants (Central Intelligence Agency, 2022). Such low rates of Internet use suggest that Bangladesh does not participate to a full extent in globalization since the Internet is an important instrument connecting businesses across countries and facilitating global trade. Further, evidence shows that just 2.4% of the rural population in Bangladesh own a computer, and 36% of them do not know much about the Internet and have only heard this term (Shadat et al., 2020). Digital literacy skills in the rural Bangladeshi population are low: only 8.1% of them can send emails, 15.35% can use video-calling apps, and 27.11% can browse the Internet (Shadat et al., 2020). Given this evidence, one can conclude that Internet use is low in Bangladesh partly because many people have only heard about the Internet but lack the skills to obtain its benefits.
Benefits for the Bangladeshi People
The suggested service will benefit people at the local level and, in the long run, may help other countries to do business in Bangladesh. First of all, the digital literacy training service will introduce such advantages of the Internet as learning opportunities and financial services to the Bangladeshi people living in rural areas. In the modern age, Internet use is as essential as the use of water or electricity: it has a significant role in education and creates a single digital market that fosters global trade (United Nations, 2021). Thus, giving Bangladeshi people the knowledge about how to check and send emails, browse the Internet, utilize basic computer programs, and use the Internet for payments is important. With this knowledge, these individuals will have greater access to valuable information, the ability to use e-government and financial services, and increased learning and business opportunities. Furthermore, it will promote the economic development of Bangladesh and its participation in international business.
Conclusion
To sum up, this paper has proposed the service of delivering digital literacy training to people living in rural areas in Bangladesh. Currently, this service is lacking in this country, and in the rural areas, people have insufficient digital literacy skills, with many of them being unable to send emails or browse the Internet. With a lack of digital literacy, these people cannot participate in e-commerce and miss valuable learning opportunities that exist in the online environment. Therefore, providing the suggested service to these individuals will benefit them by integrating them into the global community of Internet users. It will also make them accessible for foreign businesses, which will facilitate trade relationships between Bangladesh and other countries.
References
Central Intelligence Agency. (2022). Bangladesh. The World Factbook. Web.
Shadat, W. B., Islam, S., Zahan, I., & Matin, M. (2020). Digital literacy of rural households in Bangladesh. BRAC Institute of Governance and Development. Web.
United Nations. (2021). Digital connectivity essential for least developed countries to reap benefits of fourth industrial revolution, experts tell preparatory committee. Web.