[orborde]

Internet access is more valuable than you surmise, I think. Having good telecommunications allows people to coordinate much better, and that efficiency bonus could easily create enough extra real wealth to help with the food, water, and jobs problems.

Heck, having better communications directly helps with food and jobs; you have a much easier time finding the guy who needs a worker or has a spare bag of rice if you're both online. Might even help with "clean water"; you can find information on how to make water potable and sanitation in general.

I couldn't tell you for sure whether getting smartphones to a village is a higher priority than installing a good well, but the smartphones are worth enough that I don't think that either choice is obviously superior.