Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer opportunities for renewed development for many rural and remote areas that have long experienced economic decline and outmigration. But there is a risk of a territorial digital divide between urban and rural areas. Investments in telecommunications infrastructure and services tend to be focused on urban areas where large customer bases are situated. This imbalance can be aggravated by other factors such as access to education and training. There is a need for policies similar to those of universal service that brought basic telephone service to all geographic areas. Public subsidies alone are excluded, but new and innovative partnerships between the private sector and governments can be devised. In this respect, fundamental, societal, and economic issues are discussed in the first three chapters, followed by policy recommendations. The next section presents eight case studies in Canada, France, Ireland, Scotland, Montana, and North Dakota of pioneering rural development projects organized around ICTs that have facilitated job creation and the emergence of new environments favorable to community development. Positive results are highlighted and strategies and methods of implementation are analyzed. Educational themes of these projects include developing technological knowledge and skills among youth and adults, promoting enterprise creation in the field of educational multimedia, linking rural communities to higher education institutions, and providing distance education services and related teacher training. Appendices present a survey of member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development concerning ICTs, Internet sites consulted, and tables and graphs. (Contains 25 references.) (TD)