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

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