Final answer:
The advantages in information technology access for developed countries are nuanced. Developing economies can leapfrog to newer technologies, but effective adoption requires strong economic infrastructure and supportive institutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that developed countries have major advantages in access to information technology over emerging economies due to the high cost of infrastructure is both true and false.
While it is true that developed countries initially had to invest heavily in infrastructure for technologies like television and telephone systems, developing countries can leapfrog directly to newer technologies such as cell phone and satellite transmission with less investment.
However, the argument that it is easier for a low-income country to copy and adapt technology oversimplifies the challenge. In reality, for such technologies to be effectively adopted, there needs to be a supportive economic infrastructure and institutions.
Without these, the theoretical benefits of backwardness in technology adaptation are of little practical use. Additionally, issues like a large amount of both poor and trustworthy information online, pro-capitalist biases, and cultural preservation impact how technology is adopted and used, further complicating the narrative.