Christopher M. Pascucci

The term “Digital Divide” refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technologies and those who do not.

It took digital-divide researchers a decade to figure out that the real issue is not so much about access to digital technology but about the benefits derived from it.

The Digital Divide first loomed as a public-policy issue in 1996 in the debates surrounding the passage of the US Telecommunications Act.

Closing the Digital Divide is a necessity for reducing poverty. Using new technology to provide clean

drinking water to poor people and villages. Improving health care services for the poor. Provide more opportunities

Career Development – increasing number of jobs requiring computer skills.

Democracy – access to government services, discussions on policies or politics through blogs and forums.

A precondition for resolving terrorism. Most strategies for reducing the appeal of

terrorism focus on ending the isolation of those who are currently good candidates for being recruited into terrorist organizations .

Terrorists are sheltered by villagers in these areas partly because the villages themselves have little stake in the stability of the government and international economy.

Difficult to improve education and military solutions without broadband telecommunication networks.

A requirement for achieving sustainable world markets. As broadband networks spread to developing

countries, costs throughout the supply chain will drop.

The only place new customers exist in the ICTs market (info. & comm. tech.) is among the low-income.

The only way to reach these customers affordably and profitably is through ICT.

[ICT markets – cell phones, computers, software, etc…]

Barriers Physical Resources

Access to a computer and internet access Digital Resources

Appropriate content Human Resources

Literacy and training Social Resources

Community Support

OLPC (One laptop per child) Delaware based, US non profit created by faculty from the

MIT Media Lab Design, Manufacture, Distribute a low end – low cost laptop Sold to governments and distributed thru schools 7 countries have made commitments to purchase the machines

(Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand and Uruguay.[) Intended to be distributed to children around the world,

especially to those in developing countries, to provide them with access to knowledge and modern forms of government

Distributing free or donated software and computers Training and education