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Is the digital divide actually widening?
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| No | 36% | 165 votes | Total: 455 votes | |
| Yes | 64% | 290 votes |
No
by Michelle Wisdom
Created on: November 16, 2008 Last Updated: June 16, 2010
I believe it's safe to say that never have all members of the human race had equal access to the tools and the resources needed to obtain basic human necessities. Everyone having an equal opportunity to better themselves to the best of their ability is even more far-fetched. There have always been "haves" and "have-nots." There's always been one cave dwelling hunter/gather stronger, faster or smarter than his neighbor. Or there have been social and cultural factors such as feudal systems, patriarchies (or matriarchies), racial biases, etc. that favor some over others.
The Digital Divide is simply the catch phrase used to describe the gap between the data and communications technology "haves" and "have-nots." Since the introduction of the personal computer, there have been those who recognized the immense impact that advanced communications technologies as well as computer processing and electronic data storage and retrieval would have on the way we conduct business, the way we seek education, the way we communicate and even the way that we socialize. Measuring the Digital Divide provides a means of assessing how much of the population has access to these increasingly pervasive, and immensely powerful, tools.
In 1994 the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Commerce Department conducted the first high-profile federal survey to determine the scope of the Digital Divide. The focus was on access to telephone service, personal computers and modems. Subsequent surveys added access to the Internet as a factor to be measured and went on to do significant analysis of respondents based on characteristics such as income level, age, educational level, race, sex, rural or urban residence, etc.
The results of these studies have not led to a clear consensus that a Digital Divide actually exists, however. Many point to unexpected findings within the analysis as well as discrepancies in defining the Digital Divide itself as evidence that there really is no such thing. Others are firm believers that there is a problem and that it needs to be fixed. The believers have been able to get their belief translated into real legislation and real costs for consumers. The Universal Service Fund Fee, for example, is a tax that is assessed on telephone companies to generate revenue for programs meant to diminish the Digital Divide (subsidizing rural telephone service, for example.) The phone companies pass this expense along to their customers.
Even if you accept as a given that the Digital Divide does exist, however, I believe it is clear that it is diminishing rapidly today. Ironically, just as phenomenal technical advances initiated concern about the Divide, I think it is the latest technological advances that are most responsible for narrowing it.
Voice, data and video transmission technologies are merging at a rapid pace. You can get your phone service from a traditional phone company, a cellular phone company or your cable company. You can get internet access from the same three as well as satellite providers. You can get your television service from your phone company. You can make phone calls via your data network. The examples go on and on.
Now let's take another look at all of those studies. Remember that one of the factors measured was access to telephone service? Now think about all of the recent reports we've heard about the pervasiveness of cell phones, especially among young adults. Many of them are foregoing land line phones altogether. More and more people have cell phones and they use those phones to access email and the Internet. They use them to take pictures and videos and upload them to the Web. They use them to conduct their banking online.
A cell phone is no longer just a cell phone and this is what I believe is primarily responsible for narrowing the Divide!
It's hard to know if the creators of the iPhone or the Blackberry had any idea what their reinvention of the common telephone would mean, but hopefully the contribution of these devices to narrowing the Digital Divide will be recognized and will continue to be developed!
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Yes
by Adrian Tay
Created on: October 30, 2007
The reins on technology has been cut loose; the constant introduction of 'lastest' technology only serves to widen the digital gap we see in the modern times. As we race towards an even more technologically advanced future, it is inevitable that certain groups or communities would be left behind to trod along the trails of our blazing pursuit. However, this should not serve as a means to judge on the correctness of society or whether or not technology does good or bad to mankind. This should purely be an observation that may at most, warrant an improvement in the diffusion of technology from areas of a 'high-tech' status to those we see as 'backward'.
Since the time of the Industrial Revolution, there has been an immeasurable change in the field of science and technology, culminating in a supposedly unfair distribution of 'high-tech' goods and services all over the world. As we carry on in our quest for more illusive forms of technology (nanotechnology, bioinformatics, nuclear technology, etc. just to name a few), we must constantly remind ourselves that the faster we run towards our goals, the faster people at the back of the group fall off, and more people would end up left behind.
The digital divide is just a small part of the entire technological rift that is constantly widening, with a stronger focus on computerized technology. It is evident that developed nations are very much interconnected with the introduction of the Internet in recent times, and that less developed nations, like those in the African states or Latin America, are facing a problem in getting hooked onto this virtual network.
Primarily, the reason cited for such problems usually include a lack of infrastructure, which also is brought about by a lack of government fundings to built up a decent network size of computers. The next issue we should also focus our attention on is the lack of proper formal education in these regions. The Internet is built upon a community of people who speak mostly English (not forgetting that other languages like French, Spanish, Chinese, etc. do have their own websites), and that people in the lesser developed regions may face problems in understanding these languages if there is a lack of formal education. This again, can be credited to the lack of funding in education. In short, as long as these nations do not make an effort to catch up with those who are working hard to hasten their speed, the divide will only widen in the future.
Let us now look at some information of broadband prices in the world. We shall compare the price per mega bit boardband speed, since it gives us a rough gauge on how digitally advanced a country is by being able to connect to the digital world. South Korea scores highest, with a cost of only USD$0.34. Other countries in the top rankings include Sweden, Japan, France, Italy. Countries like Pakistan, however, do not fare that well, with a cost of $80.43, and Myanmar's score of USD$261.75 serves as more proof of the digital divide. Last of all, Indonesia's score of $2,453.87 only serves to show the extent of the rift in the digital divide - 7217% times that cost.
Following the 'the rich gets richer' principal, the same applies for the digital divide. Those who have access to better technology are always in a better position to more advanced inventions and innovations, and this is why the gap will only widen further.
Fortunately, progress has been made in an attempt to help the lesser developed nations catch up in the digital divide. Second-hand or used computers have been collected in many parts of the world by various charity organizations to be distributed to nations that require them for educational purposes. This would aid in the diffusion of technology to such countries to educate it's people, and hopefully to encourage the governments in providing more funding for research and development, so that these nations, even if left behind before, can start to progress and move forward.
As we start to work towards more advanced technology, the cost of technology would be lower, and this would eventually trickle back down to those who cannot afford current costs of technology. As such, we should not try to impede the development of the digital world in the name of helping the poor, but rather, find alternative sources to help these people.
In summary, the digital divide is one that we can hardly aviod due to financial constraints and due to many other circumstances. However, this does not mean that those in front need to stop to wait. Also, this does not mean we cannot put in effort to help those in need. I believe that with a common goal in mind, and by constantly looking back to see how we can help those who are left behind, even with a digital divide, mankind can make significant progress in the technological fields of tomorrow.
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Special thanks to "http://www.muniwire less.com/article/art icleview/6195/1/2" for it's publication on broadband prices per megabit around the world.
Learn more about this author, Adrian Tay.
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