issues of the digital divide
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Issues of the Digital Divide. Digital Divide Defined. In 1970’s NGO’s warned of growing gap between haves and have-nots Universal Service and Universal Access in the telecommunications tradition. Digital Divide Defined. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Issues of the Digital Divide
Digital Divide Defined
In 1970’s NGO’s warned of growing gap between haves and have-nots
Universal Service and Universal Access in the telecommunications tradition
Digital Divide Defined
“. . .an inequality in access, distribution, and use of information and communication technologies between two or more populations.” (p. 300)
Can be within one nation-state or among many (Intranational vs. International)
The Global Divide: Access
Physical Access--Where are the ICTs? Financial Access--Who can afford them? Cognitive Access--What can they utilize? Design Access--How well can they interpret? Content Access--What is relevant? Production Access--What can they contribute? Institutional Access--What bodies help or hinder
them? Political Access--Who participates in the decisions?
Global Divide: Beyond Access
Distinction between Formal and Informal Access
Participation and Engagement more key to the issues– Average citizens vs. Information champions– The more active the information champions, the
more evolved the “knowledge society”
Demographic Issues
Access is correlated with – Income– Education– Urban proximity– Age– Gender– Ethnicity– Occupation
Applications
Software
Hard Infrastructure
Soft Infrastructure
Training
Awareness
Basic Education
The Costs of ICT Applications
Perspectives on the Divide
Optimists, Pessimists, Structuralists– The state of the current ICT gap– Predictive Trends in ICT and economic trends– Relationship between patterns of ICT inequality
and economic inequality– Impact of ICT’s on economic growth– Domestic Shifts brought on by ICT diffusion– Causes of successful diffusion in LCD’s
Widening the Divide--Findings
Access Gaps Primarily – Physical– Financial – Content– Cognitive
Widening the Divide--Findings
R&D/Intellectual Property—”Haves” control 97% of world’s patents
GDP closely associated with ICT access Growth rates are as divergent as current
comparative statistics – 23 % for the Haves– 18% for the Have-nots
Widening the Divide-Findings
Wilson concludes that ICT’s are a major factor in widening income disparity over the past decade
Yet he also asserts there is no link between level of ICT usage and level of economic growth. Why?
Widening the Divide
Optimists: might be correct on domestic diffusion, but internationally the findings show the gap widening
Pessimists: Findings seem to support their claims
Structuralists: Supported in that ICT trends follow general global trends
Widening the Divide: Corrupt Elites
(Would you do business with this man?)
Askar Akayev, former President of Kyrgyzstan
(Rule of Law and Protection for civil liberties is critical to ensure equal access. )
Laws of ICT’s
Moore’s Law– Cost of technology platforms go down the longer they are
on the market and as production stays constant Metcalfe’s Law
– “Power of the network increases exponentially by the number of computers connected to it”
Wilson’s Law– “The actual and opportunity costs of exclusion from an
interactive community are multidimensional, increase over time, and are borne by both the excluded and society as a whole.”
Costs of Exclusion
Consumption/Investment opportunities– Higher costs for goods and services
Lack of access to knowledge as the ICT’s become increasingly complex
– Less information re: employment, investments, consumer goods
Decline in social cohesion and connectedness– Less active participation in government and society
Costs of Exclusion
Exclusion costs will increase over time as some citizens join the network and others stay put.
How to Narrow the Divide?
Encourage investment in human capital Low levels of government distortion and
corruption Respect for the rule of law and property
rights Sustain an enabling environment for
democratic rights and civil liberties
Digital Divide Issues-Brazil
• Despite increasing ICT development within Brazil, poor Brazilians fall behind due to• Lack of equipment• Education and Training• Illiteracy
“This was not a first world problem-we were not going to find a Swedish or Swiss company to solve it for us” –Moura Campos
“What Divide?” The Case of China
Wilson attributes the lack of official recognition of divide issues to the following:– Rise of middle class in China put the poor in the
shadows– Increase in education/training communicate
perception of access and equity– “Politically incorrect” subject due to security
concerns.
Strategic Restructuring
Restructuring the Global System
We know why *they* care……… But why does *she*???
Why Does the Private Sector Care?
Assessing short/medium term priorities and calculating material, ideological, and political interests lead to private companies wanting to open new markets and protect creative interests.
The Thatcher/Reagan Revolution
Comrades-in-Arms?
Strategic restructuring of
Property Rights
Governance rules
Efficiency rules
Distributional norms
The Clinton Administration
Political support from the private sector Al Gore champions challenge to
public/monopolist telecommunications to expand access and partner with private sector
Why would public leadership advocate giving up their own power?
Core Principles of Restructuring
Opening national ICT/Telecom Markets to foreign investment
Permitting Telecom to be a traded service
Ensuring promarket regulatory structures
Influences of the Private Sector
When in conflict, private sector companies choose to prioritize rule-making over distribution.
New rules concerning IP, efficiency & private sector leadership constrain any efforts to divide equitably.
Above influence is exacerbated by the shift from state power to private control with ICT’s.
Influences of the Private Sector
Power shift Handling new policy issues Achieving common business positions Private-public methods of forming global
policy networks Individual leaders shaping policy (Bill Gates)
Continuing Issues
Internet Governance (ICANN) E-Commerce as a regulated industry Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
Distributional Issues Addressed
Private business organizations conclude: – Divide is a result of bad government policy– Private sector best solves inequities– Digital divides are really Digital opportunities– Partnership are important, but Governments
should play supporting roles to private interests Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC) Global Business Dialogue (GBD(e))
Distributional Issues Addressed
The Group of Eight Summits (G8)– 2000 Meeting: Japan selecting digital divide– Prompts Clinton Administration to produce policy
and include non-profit and NGO actors in process– Representatives from Developing nations invited
for the first time
Distributional Issues Addressed
Group of Eight 2000 Summit Results– Government set up task forces– Mobilized high-level interest worldwide– Included NGO’s and previously excluded actors– Brought legitimacy to advocacy concerns of
developing countries, but also revealed lack of expertise.
Distributional Issues Addressed
Private Firms– Commercial Activities (export and marketing of
goods and services) – Philanthropic Activities (“community
development”)– Mixed Activities (training to build a population’s
cognitive base)
Distributional Issues Addressed
Grassroots Activities– Companies and NGO’s driven by social concerns
Peoplink.Org
Greenstar
Distributional Issues-Microfinance
Fatima Sarwoni of Namunsi, Uganda
The Village “Phone Lady”
Grameen Bank: http://www.gfusa.org
Questions in Lieu of Conclusions
Why Does the Private Sector Care? How Important is the Digital Divide? Is the Digital Divide Narrowing? What Does the Digital Divide Mean? Who Should Take Action? What are the Obstacles?