by Marcus Mansukhani

Created on: September 23, 2009

The expression 'digital divide' is commonly used however a single definitive meaning has never been universally accepted. There are many attempted definitions varying from the social division between those who were very involved in technology and those who were not to those who are unable to effectively access the Internet for socioeconomic reasons. However the nature of the divide pre-dates the term describing it and social inclusion policies date back to the 1980s. Politically it is generally accepted to define the divide as the divide between those who have access to the best computers, the most reliable telephones or the fastest or most convenient Internet services and those who lack access and is a relatively easy statistic to roll out using census data. To understand the digital divide it is necessary to define what is meant by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and 'access', what the relationship is between 'access' and 'use' of ICT and what the consequences are of engaging with ICT.

ICT is often referred to vaguely as a homogenous entity that is often limited to access to computers and the Internet although use of technology includes digital television, mobile telephony (notably 3G and 3.5G) and games consoles. A proposed better definition of ICT is as a heterogeneous umbrella that includes all of the technologies related to computing, telecommunications and digital broadcast as well as the World Wide Web. Access can be simply defined as having access to the Internet and World Wide Web however this disregards the quality of access, accessing from a home broadband is not typically as equitable as connecting from a public access terminal in a library, ICT centre or Internet caf and that there are other issues relating to whether people feel they can make use of available facilities leading to a variable scale of connectivity.

ICT follows the innovation adoption model with, in most cultures, being in the late majority stage. It suggests that in time the only people who will not use ICT are those who actively resist and therefore the digital divide is only a temporary phenomenon; however it also implies that early adopters will have an advantage over later adopters. This theory is dangerous as it combines access to technology with meaningful use and active engagement. Therefore the consequences of engaging with ICT cannot be determined by using a simplified 'digital' definition.

Almost all journals published since 1999 agree that there are

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