Scott Thompson

Mr. Meadows

Economics

18 January 2008

The Digital Divide: Problems and Solutions

The digital divide refers to those who have access to the latest technology and those who

do not. The term more commonly refers to the global digital divide and the gap between the

penetration of computers and the Internet in developing and developed countries. The largest

penetration disparities can be seen between the west and G8 nations and developing nations in

Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.

The digital divide is a relatively new problem. The World Wide Web was introduced in

1989 and computers and the Internet became commonplace ten to fifteen years ago in developed

nations. Therefore the low adoption rate in the developing world is a result of inadequate

technologies, such as outdated telecommunication systems which fail to meet today’s demands.

When computers and the Internet were introduced in industrialized nations an up-to-date

telecommunications infrastructure was in place. The Internet’s data was simply routed through

this pre-established network which later evolved to meet the demands of this new technology.

However, in many developing nations an up-to-date, pervasive telecommunications network was,

and still is, not available. For example, Africa, on average, has only three fixed phone lines for

every 100 people. This lack of investment in the continent’s telecommunication system can be

partly attributed to many years of civil unrest, unstable government, and the apprehension of

foreign investors. This is only part of these nations’ connectivity problems.

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Many countries facing a digital divide have a problem connecting to the world’s Internet

backbone, the main conduit of global data transmission. Many countries must rely upon satellite

links to the Internet’s backbone. Such a solution yields low bandwidth and results in data

transmission delays die to the distance the signals must travel. In some cases entire countries

have maximum bandwidth speeds of less than 10 Mbps to the Internet’s backbone. In

comparison, a typical individual ADSL Internet connection in Belgium is 9 Mbps.

One country facing such a hindrance to technological development is the land locked east

African republic of Rwanda. The country has few natural resources and therefore must turn to its

The above map depicts world-wide computer penetration. Latin America, Africa, and southeast Asia have the lowest computer penetration. Source: United Nations Global Development Goals Indicators

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human population as a means of economic survival. The Rwandan government has been making

an investment in its education system to achieve such a goal, partly by investing in information

technologies. However, their investment will reach a point of zero return if the country cannot

increase its international bandwidth.

Even if adequate international bandwidth is available, widespread adoption will be

partially stymied by the high cost of Internet connection in the country. Part of this cost results

from the inefficient methods of routing information in Africa. The continent has very little

infrastructure for routing its own Internet traffic; therefore, most Internet traffic must be routed

through Europe or the United States. This method of routing adds unneeded cost to Internet

usage and degrades data transmission speeds. Also, in many countries the telecommunications

systems are controlled by a monopoly which charges exorbitant prices.

The above picture shows that Internet users in the developing world have been increasing at an ever larger rate since 1994. Source: International Telecommunications Union

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The adoption of computers and the Internet in many of the affected countries faces a

“chicken and the egg” scenario. Users do not want to invest in equipment and Internet

connections without a wide selection of content for entertainment and an adequate database of

information for study and self-advancement. However, providers of such content do not want to

offer their services without a profitable user base. Also, potential computer users may be turned

away from the technology if they cannot communicate with a number of their peers online.

Several other hurdles must be overcome for the digital divide to be successfully bridged.

Currently a majority of online content is in English, but only fourteen percent of the world’s

population speaks English. Therefore, more content, and software, must be produced for new

users in the developing world. With most of the world’s illiteracy occurring in developing

nations, an increase in literacy levels must also occur for the divide to be bridged. Also, training

must be offered for the adoption of the new technologies to be successful.

India’s “computer-in-the-wall” project is a real world example of computer literacy as a

necessary component of narrowing the digital gap. The project provided a community computer

kiosk for citizens to use. It was later discovered that training must be offered for computer to

become an integral component of society.

Despite the many hurdles the developing world faces, the small Baltic republic of Estonia

is an example of how technology can be successfully introduced and adopted into a society, if

prior conditions are met. With a high literacy rate and easy access to the Internet’s backbone,

Estonia initiated a government program entitled Tiigrihüpe (Tiger’s Leap) to invest in and

expand the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Tiigrihüpe placed a large focus on

computers in the education system. Prior to this government program the country was using

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severely outdated computers from the Soviet era. Ten years later the republic offers online

voting and has been called eStonia and the most wired country in the world.

Much of Estonia’s success can be pinned to its close proximity to western Europe and its

Internet backbone. To truly overcome the digital divide the global backbone of the Internet

needs improvement, expansion, and increased reliability on a global scale. Currently most

intercontinental data must be routed through Europe or the United States.

This is not the most reliable, economical, or efficient means of operation; therefore, the

Internet needs to expand its intercontinental network in Asia, Africa, and South America. These

improvements would mean increased data transmission speeds and lower connectivity costs for

Internet users in developing countries. It would also reduce the amount of traffic that must be

routed through the United States, a country which is not directly affected by the digital divide.

Without such improvements the digital divide cannot be truly overcome.

Most discussion on the digital divide focuses on computer and Internet access in the

developing world. However, censorship is also responsible for widening the digital divide. The

Internet is a facilitator of free ideas, thoughts, and conversation, and bridging the digital divide is

possible only when governments also support this philosophy. When the Internet is heavily

censored a widening of the digital divide occurs. A drastic example of Internet control and

censoring could be seen during the civil uprisings in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar,

formerly Burma, during the fall of 2007. After large amounts of video and pictures had leaked

out of the country, the secretive military government turned off the Internet. Although the

reaction in Myanmar was extreme, similar censorship, on a smaller scale, can, and does, hinder

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the closing of the digital divide. This may occur when a ruling party blocks its opponents

websites and email addresses before an election.

Although some people view the digital divide as a violation of a human right, the right to

information, it is also a global economic problem on multiple levels. The governments of

affected countries must make a difficult, but inevitable, decision to invest in technology and

enter the 21st century economy. Developing nations and foreign investors must take an

economic gamble to bridge the digital divide.

In most developing nations government funds are scarce, many of the countries struggle

to provide basic healthcare and elementary educations to their citizens, both of which are more

important in the short-term than computers and Internet access. A commitment to bridge the

divide would require a reallocation of government funds. These governments must choose to

maintain the status quo, or allocate scarce funds to investing in technology, with only a hope that

it will deliver the promises touted by academics and politicians in the developed world. A choice

must be made between investing in the future or surviving today. If successfully bridged, the

country will rise into the 21st century and become a vibrant nation with a strong economy. If the

investment fails and the technology is not accepted into society, schools, government, and

healthcare facilities the country will fall ever deeper into poverty.

Although bridging the divide will take a committed effort from the affected countries,

outside help from foreign investors, governments, and aid organizations will also be needed.

These outside forces are necessary to help develop new telecommunications infrastructures and

design training programs in politically unstable countries and regions. Vast amounts of money

will have to be invested by these countries, a gamble that will hopefully yield a return. If the

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new technology is not accepted the companies will yield very little from their investments and

consequently stymie future investment in the developing world.

When investors and governments choose to take this inevitable economic gamble there

will be many positive benefits from the successful integration of computers, the Internet, and

technology into the daily lives of people. The first change from bridging the divide will be seen

in the country’s budget. With an increased reliance on computers the government will need to

allot fewer funds to administrative purposes. By transferring many national bookkeeping

services to e-government programs and databases, costs and time of transporting papers across

the country will be drastically reduced. Also, citizens will be able to better interact with their

government through online websites.

Another decrease in government spending could be seen in the education budgets. The

use of laptops or other digital readers could replace text books in many schools. Although this

would have a higher initial cost, new text books and other handouts could be digitally distributed

to student’s reading devices, not only eliminating much of the cost of textbooks, but also

reducing the cost of textbook distribution.

The use of technology in healthcare would increase the well being, and productivity, of a

nation’s citizens. Remote villages could have Internet video links to communicate with doctors

and specialists in cities around the country and around the world. Computers would also allow

nurses and doctors to access vast databases and digital libraries to diagnosis diseases and

prescribe treatment methods. Doctors at major medical schools and centers could also perform

remote robotic operations on patients on a different continent.

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Although bridging the digital divide would have many positive benefits for either

reducing government spending or making spending more effective, a digital bridge to the

industrialized world would also allow citizens, and tax payers, to communicate with colleagues,

customers, even bosses, in the west. Signs of this have already been occurring in countries such

as India, which requires all students to learn English and study computer science. India has

become a major location for outsourcing jobs such as call center operators, lawyers, and software

programmers.

There is little doubt that closing the digital divide will greatly improve the standard of

living in developing nations while increasing the tax base and GDP. However, this will also have

a major impact on developed nations, both positive and negative. Billions of citizens, and

consumers, will have access to the Internet. This will cause an exponential boom in the

technology sector. Established companies such as Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and other online

companies will drastically grow in size, primarily in the developing world. The Internet will also

see a large number of websites based in the developing world spring-up and also become major

players in the competitive online world of search, social networking, entertainment, and much,

much more.

Overcoming the digital divide will revolutionize the way the world, and many countries,

operate and design their telecommunications systems. The power of the Internet will allow many

developing nations to “leap frog” many of the technologies currently in use in the developed

world. Many countries will not need a telephone or cable television network. Instead these

services can be delivered over the Internet. Such technologies as VoIP (Voice over Internet

Protocol) and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) will allow countries to have a much more cost

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effective system of infrastructure; redundant conduits of information (telephone and cable) will

be able to be bypassed.

Although this increase in economic activity will initially occur in the technology sector, it

will ultimately trickle into other businesses around the world. Online retailers such as eBay.com

and Amazon.com and shipping companies such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL will see the first signs

of growth. However, companies in the developing world will soon develop similar offerings and

services. This will mean more choice and lower prices for consumers as businesses face

increased competition.

Bridging the digital divide will open many new labor markets - markets where labor will

be much cheaper. Although this will mean lower prices for consumers, it will also mean a

redistribution of jobs from the developed world into the developing world. In a world where a

computers and the Internet transcend time zones, borders, and oceans, workers will be competing

in a much larger arena for jobs. In this new world currency exchange rates, taxes, and

government incentives and restrictions will dictate who has an economic advantage. Bridging

the digital divide will change the world as we know it; only those willing to accept and embrace

these changes will benefit.

In terms of global political policy, the digital divide is far from being solved.

Organizations such as the UN and the G8 nations have simply said that it is a problem that needs

to be resolved. Although progress has been made with the collaboration of NGOs and the

governments of specific governments, a “master plan” has not been developed to close the digital

gap between developing and developed nations.

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Despite the absence of a widely accepted, global blueprint to solve this problem, some

inroads are being made. An undersea fiber optic cable along the coast of east Africa is a

promising attempt to connect nations such as Rwanda to the global Internet backbone. Nicholas

Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program has started distributing low-cost laptops to

school children in developing nations. Other technology companies also have plans to offer

similar low-cost computers. These projects are either quiet murmurings of an end to the digital

divide or more empty promises of a solution.

Even if developing nations are provided with an adequate connection to the Internet, the

telecommunications monopolies in many countries will prevent widespread adoption of this

powerful technology. Other roadblocks may include the threat of continued political instability

and low expectations of governments and societies. Closing the divide is riddled with failure

points such as India’s “computer-in-the-wall” program, which provided hardware and Internet

access but no training. Providing technology to a country’s population is a fruitless effort if

adequate training is not provided. Computers and the Internet must also overcome the language

barrier to be truly assimilated into the global society.

Overcoming these many perils is absolutely possible if the developing and developed

world are committed to funding a solution. There will not be a one-size-fits-all solution; each

country has its own strengths and weaknesses in overcoming the divide. Although solutions

must be tailored to each country and region of the world, several broad and general solutions are

promising.

In an effort to reduce costs some countries are implementing a wireless network to

connect rural schools. By only having one school hardwired to the Internet, the cost, and time,

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of connecting a group of rural schools, and subsequent communities, to the Internet is reduced.

The One Laptop Per Child program operates on a similar system of connecting schools to the

Internet. The laptops, developed for the harsh usage environment, “mesh” with each other to

extend the wireless Internet signal from the school into the community. This program also

operates on the idea of reducing long-term text book spending by allowing students to use e-

books on their government purchased laptop.

Contrary to some people’s belief, bridging the digital divide does not mean putting a

computer in every home around the world. Instead current plans aim for a community computer

or computers. Members of the community could then access the Internet for a short time each

day, or week, to check weather reports or the current crop futures. Such a community computer

solution could also have economic benefits by allowing local artisans and farmers to sell their

products, crops, and livestock.

Although computers and the Internet seem to be a logical solution from a western

viewpoint, cell phones may hold the answer to bridging the divide in developing countries.

There cell phones are relatively common which makes them an ideal platform for further

development. Although computers are still the current focus of bridging the divide, several

prominent technologists, such as Bill Gates, foresee cell phones as the solution to the digital

divide, not computers.

My solution to the digital divide is a multiphase process in which foreign governments

and investors and the governments of developing nations have criteria and benchmarks which

must be met. The first stage would provide basic global connectivity to all countries which agree

to a “global digital divide initiative.” The second stage would assimilate computers and

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technology into the daily lives of all global citizens. The third stage would create and readjust

current legislation governing the Internet and all activities encompassing its use such as online

shopping and Internet policing.

In the first stage of development the Internet’s global backbone will undergo major

development and renovation. Fiber optic networks would be more evenly distributed across the

globe, as would the routing of traffic. This increase in global bandwidth and bandwidth

distribution would help reduce future Internet brownouts and blackouts. While the Internet’s

backbone is being developed and improved, NGOs, foreign investors, foreign governments, and

domestic governments would form a coalition to build easily expandable domestic

telecommunication networks. These improved networks would connect all communities with

advanced technologies such as fiber optics; remote communities may rely on a satellite system

for Internet and telephone communications. During this first stage of development Internet

accessible computers would be placed in all schools and community Internet communications

centers will be opened. These centers will facilitate computer training and provide community

access to the Internet.

As the first stage nears completion a second phase of development would begin. During

this stage affordable computers and Internet connections will be made available to all people.

With the increased user base Internet content providers will have increased incentive to create

websites and web services for citizens in developing countries. Computers and Internet

communications will be assimilated into the general population during this stage of development.

Online government and education services will be heavily promoted.

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As the second stage matures a third stage will begin. This stage will primarily be

political as world governments create laws for e-commerce and protection of privacy. A world-

wide umbrella organization must be created to police and defend the Internet from cyber warfare

and rogue hackers. When implemented, this neutral international organization will coordinate

the Internet protection agencies of every country in the world.

Although the Internet has tremendous power to improve every country in the world it will

also have negative consequences. Communications within terrorist groups and similar

organizations will become much easier. Also, many languages will inevitably die as younger

generations flock to learn a common global language. The world will also have to find

environmentally safe methods to deal with increased amounts of “techno-trash.”

As currently seen in the world, computers and the Internet have become a great divider

among the developed and developing world. However, the same technology has an even greater

power to connect all people in all countries. The digital divide will be bridged, but it is our

choice as to when and how it will occur. We have only seen a small taste of what connectivity

can achieve. Closing the digital divide and improving technology will change our lives forever.

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Works Cited

Annan, Kofi A. "On the Digital Divide." UN.Org. 5 Nov. 2002. United Nations. 5 Jan. 2008

<http://www.un.org/News/ossg/sg/stories/sg-5nov-2002.htm>.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan gives a brief overview of the digital divide, its current situation, and discusses bridging the divide.

Davis, Joshua. "Hackers Take Down the Most Wired Country in Europe." Wired. 13 Jan. 2008

<http://www.wired.com/politics/security/magazine/15-09/ff_estonia>.

The technology magazine Wired discusses a recent event in which Estonia’s Internet network was overwhelmed by Russian hackers. Briefly discusses the future of the Internet and the ensuing “warfare.”

"Digital Divide - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia." Wikipedia. 12 Jan. 2008 <http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Divide>.

General overview of the digital divide, both the domestic and global divides.

"Global Digital Divide - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia." Wikipedia. 12 Jan. 2008 <http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_digital_divide>.

Broad overview of the global digital divide.

Krairit, Donyaprueth. "Digital Divide From the Inside: Perspective of a Thai Academician - the

World Summit in Reflection." The World Summit in Reflection - Harvard Law School.

Asian Institute of Technology. 5 Jan. 2008 <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/wsis/

Krairit.html>.

A professor from the Thailand gives his opinion of a United Nations World Summit discussion on the digital divide. States that the digital divide is not only a problem of access but knowledge of how to use the technology.

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Nixon, Ron. "Africa, Offline: Waiting for the Web - New York Times." NYTimes.Com. 22 July

2007. The New York Times. 12 Jan. 2008 <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/

business/yourmoney/22rwanda.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>.

Article from The New York Times covering Rwanda’s goals of becoming a knowledge based economy but is hindered by inadequate Internet access. Also discusses the difficulties of getting Internet access in east Africa as opposed to west Africa.

Peizer, Jonathan. "Bridging the Digital Divide." Open Society Institute. 15 June 2000. Open

Society Institute. 14 Jan. 2008 <http://www.soros.org/initiatives/information/

articles_publications/articles/bridging_20000615>.

General overview of the digital divide and possible solutions.

"The Digital Divide At a Glance." International Telecommunications Union. 12 Jan. 2008

<http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/newsroom/stats/>.

Internet usage statistics with focus on digital divide. Statistics also compare telecommunications in developed and developing nations.

"TiigrihüPe - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia." Wikipedia. 13 Jan. 2008 <http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiigrih%C3%BCpe>.

Short article covering Estonia’s campaign to integrate technology into everyday society.

Tuomi, Ilkka. "Beyond the Digital Divide." UC Berkley. 11 July 2000. UC Berkley. 5 Jan. 2008

<http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~jfc/hcc/retreat3/Divide.pdf>.

Article with different take on the digital divide. Argues why most citizens in the developing world do not need computers and Internet connections in the developing world.

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"World Internet Usage Statistics News and Population Stats." Internet World Stats. 12 Jan. 2008

<http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm>.

General Internet usage and global penetration statistics. Statistics divide by continent and region.

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