Transcript February 1, 2012

Y490 Politics of the
Internet
February 1, 2012
Digital Divide
 Gap in computer and Internet use across
various social groups
 Who is included and who is excluded and
what are the consequences?
 How stable over time?
 What should be done about it?
video
Major
Documents/Books/Reports
 Falling Through the Net (1998)
 Benjamin Compaine, Bridging the Digital
Divide (2001)
 Pippa Norris, Digital Divide (2001)
 Jan van Dijk, The Deepening Divide
(2005)
Barriers to Access: Jan Van Dijk
and Joseph Hacker
 Lack of elementary digital experience
caused by lack of interest, computer
anxiety, and unattractiveness of new
technology (mental access)
 Lack of material access
 Lack of digital skills (skills access)
 Lack of significant usage opportunities
(usage access)
Individual-Level Barriers to Access
• Language
• Basic Literacy
• Electronic literacy
US Digital Divide Statistics, 2009
Demographic Group
Internet Use1
Use of Broadband at Home6
Age
􀂃Americans 65 and over
􀂃 50-64
42%
79%
30%
61%
Education Attainment
􀂃 high school diploma
􀂃 less than a high school diplomas
69%
50%
52%
--
Disability
􀂃 Americans with disabilities
38% 2,4
--
Household Income
􀂃 less than $30,000 annual income
􀂃 $20,000-$30,000
􀂃 less than $20,000 annual income
60%
53%
35%
--
Race/Ethnicity
􀂃 Latinos in the US
􀂃 Spanish-dominant Latinos in the US
􀂃 African Americans
56%5
32%5
67%
--46%
Community Type
􀂃 Rural
65%
46%
Global Digital Divide:
Key Variables
• Economic Development (GDP/person)
• Availability of telephones, computers
• Competition in telecom markets
• Human capital formation
• Type of regime (authoritarian vs.
democratic)
Map of Global Digital Divide
PC/Internet by
Percapita Income
Computer Use (per 100
people)
Internet Use (per 100
people)
Developing Countries
2.5
2.6
Least Developed
Countries
0.3
0.2
Arab States
2.1
1.6
East Asia and the
Pacific
3.3
4.1
Latin America and the
Caribbean
5.9
4.9
South Asia
0.8
0.6
Sub-Saharan Africa
1.2
0.8
Central & Eastern
Europe & CIS
5.5
4.3
OECD
36.3
33.2
High-income OECD
43.7
40
Sources: World Development Report, 2006 and 2007.
Telephone Lines
Mobile Telephones
Internet Users
Broadband vs. Dial-Up
• Broadband accentuates the digital
divide
• Average monthly cost $40-45 is too
high for many poor families
• Higher speeds translate into higher
costs generally
• Dial-up users limited in ability to
create new content (vs. passive use
of existing content)
Broadband and Dial-Up, 200-2011
Broadband by Income
Broadband by
Education
Broadband by Age
Broadband by Gender
Reasons for Not Connecting
via Broadband
Attitudes about Computers and the Internet
in Four Countries
Getting Kids Connected
BroadbandCensus.com
 The country needs to know where highspeed Internet service is available and
where it isn't. And that is just the first step.
 Next, consumers need to know the extent of
broadband competition in their local area.
They need to know the names of the
carriers that offer broadband, the speeds
they offer, and the prices they charge.
 BroadbandCensus.com intends to fill this
gap.
Broadband Data Improvement Act of
2008 (S. 1492)
 Passed in the 110th Congress and came into effect in
2008.
 Requires the FCC to compile a list of geographical
areas that are not served by any provider of advanced
telecommunications services.
 Mandates use of Census data to characterize each
area by population, population density, and per
capita income.
 Requires FCC to publish international comparisons.
Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program
• Part of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009
• National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) to
create of National Broadband
Inventory Map
• Called for the creation of a National
Broadband Plan
Questions for Discussion
 Does the digital divide matter?
 What are the main causes of the global digital
divide?
 Do higher levels of Internet diffusion reduce the
digital divide, either within or between
countries?
 Are there new digital divides opening up within
developed countries?
 Is the digital divide ever likely to narrow
significantly?