Information-driven societies and Fermi's paradox

Fermi's paradox is founded on the idea that one or more Galactic extraterrestrial civilizations (ETCs) existed long ago and sustained exploration for millions of years, but in spite of their advanced knowledge, they could not find a way to explore the Galaxy other than with fleets of starships or self replicating probes. Here, I question this second assumption: if advanced technology generally allows long-distance remote sensing, and if ETCs were motivated by gaining information rather than conquest or commerce, then such voyages would be unnecessary, thereby resolving Fermi's paradox.