All countries implementing e-government have struggled to develop a basic infrastructure to take advantage of new technologies and communications tools.

Many developing countries, even if possessing the will, do not have the infrastructure necessary to immediately deploy e-government services throughout their territory. These governments, such as the Andhra Pradesh state in India, must include in their e-government strategies efforts to build out their ICT infrastructure, developing novel approaches to solving the problem of remote connectivity in order to support e-government efforts. Others, such as Estonia, have partnered with the private sector to invest in programs that increase access and create an e-ready society.

Some of the best examples and guidelines on the issue can be found on the World Bank InfoDev site.

Infrastructure Development Recommendations:

• Develop projects that are compatible with the nation's telecom infrastructure.
• Use public access kiosks and mobile centers if teledensity is low.
• Introduce telecom competition and lift regulations on wireless and other digital technologies to accelerate their deployment.
• Build on the micro-enterprise model to bring connectivity to underserved areas and ensure sustainability.
• Consider the government's current use of technology and learn from past successes and failures.
• Establish an action framework at the beginning of the process to allow for a rational and coordinated investment effort down the road.