THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

What is the digital divide?

• The digital divide refers to the inequalities in

opportunities between individuals households,
businesses and nations to access to
Information & Communication Technology
(ICT).
 Digital Divide
The Digital Divide, or the digital split, is
a social issue referring to the differing
amount of information between those
who have access to the Internet
(specially broadband access) and
those who do not have access.
 Defining the digital divide
The term digital divide refers to the increasing
access gap between those who have and those
who do not have:
• access to information and communication
technologies;
• access to content that benefits them socially and
economically;
• skills to take advantage of ICT services;
• the ability to afford to pay for digital services.
• “More than 80% of people in
the world have never ever
heard a dial tone, let alone
surfed the web.”
How do you think income is related
to the digital divide?
 Income-Related:
86.3 % of households earning $75,000 per year
have internet access, vs. 12.7% of households
earning less than $15,000.
 DIGITAL ACCESS INDEX (DAI)
• The DAI measures the overall ability of
individuals in a country to access and use ICTs.
Measured using
– Infrastructure – combined, fixed and mobile
teledensity
– Affordability
– Knowledge – adult literacy
– Quality – bandwith
– Usage – internet users per 100 population
 Question

Why is Digital Inclusion

Critical?
Why is Digital Inclusion Critical?
Economic & Social Realities:
• Participation in the global, knowledge-based economy
requires the ability to access and manage information

• Underserved, marginalized communities have the most

to gain, the most to lose

• Technology literacy, like literacy itself, is an essential

prerequisite to social inclusion
 Critical Drivers of ICT Use
ICT = information & communication technology

1. E-mail, Search, Maps

2. News
3. Access to online job listings, applications
4. Educational use, online learning
5. Online transactions (travel,e-bay, banking, etc.)
6. e-government services (taxes, licenses)
7. Health information (Medicaid part D)
8. Civic engagement & e-democracy
9. User generated content-blogs, websites, music sharing
 Persistent barriers to
Digital Inclusion include:
1. Limited technology literacy skills

2. Anxiety, fear of technology tools--

16% are “hard core resistors”

3. Limited education, low literacy levels

4. Language & accessibility barriers

5. Irrelevant content

6. Affordable broadband service

7. Cost of entry (hardware)

Content Barriers Cited by Low Income
Adults

• Lack of local information

– Provide practical information focusing on local
community
• Literacy Barriers
– Develop information at a basic literacy level
• Language Barriers
– Online translation tools
– Information in native languages
• Lack of Cultural Diversity
– Provide Relevant health, social and cultural information
Debate on the priority of ICTs
for development – against
Critics argue:
• ICTs are a waste of money
• Funding should be directed to more important
areas of impact and real need
• There is the risk of disillusionment
• ICTs will not necessarily provide benefits and
may infact open people up to new forms of
harm
Debate on the priority of ICTs
for development – pro
Supporters argue:
• The digital divide will become perilously wider if
ICTs are not promoted
• ICTs can support other social and economic
goals to improve peoples lives
• Access to ICTs and participation in the
Information Society will have far reaching
benefits
 Question
DISCUS THE DIGITAL
INCLUSION STRATEGIES
Digital Inclusion Strategies
• Improve Access/ Connectivity
Provide broader access to the Internet, lower cost
of entry (municipal wireless??)

• Develop content that is accessible, relevant and

contextual

• Increase Technology Literacy

Help groups and individuals use technology to do
what THEY want to do, address underlying social
factors
 Question

Explain the general issues

and roles of ICTs in
development
 What is ICT4D?
• ICT4D is concerned with using new and existing
technologies to extend the reach of
communication and information resources.

• Facilitating access to ICT resources, and

promoting their effective use makes these
information and communication initiatives much
more complex and dynamic.
 Drivers of ICT4D
• The Missing Link (extending basic telecom
infrastructure to all)
• Rise of Civil Society
• Communication Rights
• Globalization and Information Networks
 APC internet rights charter
• The Right to Communicate
• Freedom of expression and information exchange
• Diversity, ownership and control of content
• Free/open source software, technology development and
intellectual property rights
• Privacy
• Global, regional and national governance of the Internet
• Awareness, protection and realisation of rights
Four pillars of the CRIS campaign
Communication Rights in the Information
Society:

• Creating spaces for democratic environments;

• Reclaiming the use of knowledge and the public
domain;
• Reclaiming civil and political rights in the information
society; and
• Securing equitable and affordable access.
Different ICT4D components
access to ICTs

ability to use ICTs

actual use of ICTs

impact of using ICTs.

 Bridges.org – Real Access
• Affordability
• Capacity
• Relevant content
• Integration
• Socio-cultural factors
• Trust
• Political will
• Legal and regulatory framework
• Local economic environment
• Macro economic environment
 Real Access Criteria (1)
Affordability
Is technology access affordable for people to
use?

Capacity
Do people understand how to use technology
and its potential uses?
 Real Access Criteria (2)
Relevant content
Is there locally relevant content, especially in
terms of language?

Integration
Does the technology further burden people's
lives or does it integrate into daily routines?
 Real Access Criteria (3)
Socio-cultural factors
Are people limited in their use of technology
based on gender, race, or other socio-cultural
factors?

Trust
Do people have confidence in and understand
the implications of the technology they use, for
instance in terms of privacy, security, or
cybercrime?
 Real Access Criteria (4)
Political will
Is there political will in government to do what is
needed to enable the integration of technology
throughout society?

Legal and regulatory framework

How do laws and regulations affect technology
use and what changes are needed to create an
environment that fosters its use?
 Real Access Criteria (5)
Local economic environment
Is there a local economy that can and will
sustain technology use?

Macro economic environment

Is national economic policy conducive to
widespread technology use, for example, in
terms of transparency, deregulation, investment,
and labour issues?
 United Nations
Millennium Development Goals
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
 United Nations
Millennium Development Goals
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for
development.
Target 18: In cooperation with the private sector make
available the benefits of new technologies, specifically
information and communications.
Indicator 47: Telephone lines and cellular subscribers
per 100 population.
Indicator 48: Personal computers in use per 100
population and Internet users per 100 population.
 ICTs and development goals
(education)
• ICTs as a subject: information literacy,
programming and other related skills.
• Computer-based training and distance education
• Access to learning communities
• Access to increased and up-to-date information
 ICTs and development goals
(health)
• Telemedicine: broadband applications – from
health clinic to hospital
• Telehealth: phone and computer support for
clinic management and information flows
• Information sharing: information and exchange
on health priorities, e.g. HIV / AIDS, TB, cholera
• Epidemiology: statistics and information to
support knowledge and disease management
 ICTs and development goals
(SMMEs)
• ICTs can support routine business operations:
accounts, letters, plans
• ICTs can be an opportunity themselves:
training, support, sale, program, web
• Linking suppliers directly to markets: reducing
role of intermediaries
• Info for tenders, linking SMMEs, support &
funding, supply and sales chain
• E-Commerce opportunities
 ICTs and development goals
(governance)
• Access to government information, services and
processes
• Transparency of governance
• Mitigation of corruption
• Access to representatives: constituents direct
link to members of Parliament