About

David Souter has worked as an independent expert in ICTs, Internet and public policy since 2003, when he founded the consultancy ict Development Associates. He works at the interface between ICTs/Internet and public policy, with a particular interest in development, environment, governance and rights, in Internet governance, and in the long-term impact of ICTs/Internet on economy, society and culture.

He has worked extensively since 2003 as a consultant to United Nations agencies including DESA, UNESCO, UNCTAD, ITU and CSTD (for which he was lead consultant on the UN CSTD ten-year review of WSIS); for Internet entities including ISOC; for development agencies including the World Bank; for communications businesses; and for international NGOs.

He was Visiting Professor in Communications Management at the University of Strathclyde from 2002 to 2012, and Visiting Senior Fellow in the Media and Communications Department at the LSE from 2009 to 2016. From 1995 to 2003, he was Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, one of the pioneer agencies in ICT4D during that period. His doctoral research was in African economic history, specifically the development of the labour market and its relationship with political and social change in Nigeria.

David writes the weekly ‘Inside the Information Society’ blog for the Association for Progressive Communications, in which he aims to challenge assumptions and stimulate debate about the role of ICTs/internet in economy, society and culture.

Research Interests

‘Information Society’, development, environment, governance, rights, conflict, public policy, Internet governance, WSIS, United Nations.

Positions at the OII

• Research Associate, November 2016 - November 2019