Definition

"The digital divide refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communications technologies (ICT's) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen." ~Wikipedia

• "All of us live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon." ~Konrad Adenauer
  
  
  
  
• "Globalization, as defined by rich people like us, is a very nice thing... you are talking about the Internet, you are talking about cell phones, you are talking about computers. This doesn't affect two-thirds of the people of the world." ~Jimmy Carter
  
  
  
  
• "Will the distance between 'have nets' and 'have nots' increase?" ~S. Weyer, 1988
  
  
  
  

Factors

• geography
• speed, cost of connection
• wired vs. wireless
• poverty, literacy
• gender, race, class
• competition vs. monopolies
• government policies

Beyond availability of a connection, we will discuss restrictions by ISPs (information service providers), content providers and governments later.

Importance?

• U.N. Report Declares Internet Access a Human Right
  
  
• Berners-Lee: Web access is a 'human right'
  
  
• Internet as Vital as Food, Water, Air, Shelter to Some
  
  
• Why don't Americans want broadband? (38%: 'don't need it -- not interested')
  
  

Rural vs. Urban

• For Idaho and the Internet, Life in the Slow Lane; Comparing Internet Speeds Across the Nation
  
  
• UK ISP Challenges Pigeon to Beat Rural Broadband ('not spots')
  
  

US & Other Countries

• Cheap, Ultrafast Broadband? Hong Kong Has It ($26/mo.; 1Gb)
  
  
• Comcast's $9.99 Internet for low-income families goes nationwide (1.5Mbps; as condition of NBC merger)
  
  
• The top 20 countries on the Internet, and what the future might bring
  
  
• Two-thirds of U.S. Internet users lack fast broadband (< 5M dl)
  
  
• Download speed by country (US: ~30th); Pando report (US: ~26th)
  
• National Broadband Map; New broadband map has flaws (incomplete, incorrect or out of date; slow; no pricing)
  
  
• FCC broadband plan will put US in "second tier of countries"
  
  

Age, Ability, Education, Language, Class, ...

• Staying in Touch With Technology (older adults)
  
  
• Those with disabilities are underserved by technology
  
  
• Can cloud computing spur ubiquitous broadband?
  
  
• The dominant language of the internet is about to become Chinese
  
  
• The Better-Off Online
  
  
• UK Gov't Admits That Protecting Big Record Labels More Important Than Getting Poor Online
  
  
• For US minorities, new 'digital divide' seen
  
  
• The New Coffee Bars: Unplug, Drink, Go
  
  
• Now even the wilderness is wired
  
  

For more info: Network Access: Digital Divide; Content Access: Internationalization, Abilities

[updated: 04-Oct-2011] [.pdf]