INF 101
Digital Divide: A Global and U.S. Problem
September 9, 2012

Digital Divide: A Global and U.S. Problem It is hard to imagine a home without a cell phone, computer or internet access. Yet, this happens; not just in developing countries, but here in the United States. This is often referred to as the digital divide. When a country’s citizens do not have access to or utilize digital technologies, it will negatively impact their education and economic stability. Digital divide being defined as the gap between those who can use information technology effectively and those who cannot is just one of a range of discrepancies, national and international, urban and rural, rich and poor, which afflicts low income country’s (Brooks, S., et al, 2005, Pg. 270). The digital divide impacts more than just one’s ability to shop online. Not having access to the latest technologies greatly impacts a countries survival. By increasing access to important and educational information through electronic resources a country can impact its economic future and growth. If citizens are afforded access to improved educational resources, they will benefit by developing a well-educated workforce (Brooks, S., et al, 2005, Pg. 270). Achieving this access to technology and supporting education will need to be made available to all. Before we look at this issue in the United States, let’s take a look at the issue from a more global perspective. There have been numerous studies focused on the impact that access to technology can have on developing countries. Heather Hudson studied the relationship of telephone growth and the GPD in developing countries (Harwit, E., 2004, Pg. 1011). Hudson cites a study in India indicating that rural residents derived economic surplus when they used a telephone rather than travelling by land to deliver messages personally (Harwit, E., 2004, Pg. 1012). In sub-Saharan Africa, having telecommunications gave citizens the ability to export agricultural products and raw materials (Harwit, E., 2004, Pg. 1012). These studies show a strong link to improved economy and the use of telecommunications. This is the first step in bridging the digital divide. While progress has been made and a link to positive economic growth is shown by having access to improved telecommunication techniques, we need to look at how widely available this technology is. Cell phones once considered a luxury and a device for the wealthy are now becoming the main form of verbal communication for many. Cell phones have followed a path of exponential growth. It took 15 years for the first quarter of the world to get mobile phones, by 2003, and about four years for the second quarter. It is expected there will an additional billion mobile phone owners, by the end of 2011 (West, J., 2008, Pg. 1). Across the 50 poorest countries of the world, mobile ownership has grown by over 70% a year, every year, since the turn of the century (West, J., 2008, Pg. 1). (See Table 1). With cell phone ownership finally becoming equal amongst all it is time to look at the next factor in the digital divide, the Internet.
Table 1 Cell Phone Growth

(ITU, 2006, Pg. 29) Another component to the digital divide is computer and internet access. Lack of access to these two vital components has a great impact on the education system in these countries. The internet provides students in the industrialized world to obtain large amounts of current information on any topic (Brooks, S., et al, 2005, Pg. 271). Without equal access to the internet students in developing countries and those without access in developed nations are not being offered the same educational opportunities. This can impact the countries future stability and growth.
One of the largest challenges many of these countries face is finding the needed resources to expand and build the infrastructure needed to expand the internet to all areas. Often these countries have sluggish economies. If the citizens have better educational resources, the country can improve its economy through a well-educated work force (Brooks, S., et al, 2005, Pg. 272). With an educated work force the country is better set to compete, this would lead to an improved economy and the needed financial resources to expand access to digital resources (Brooks, S., et al, 2005, Pg. 272). This is a never ending circle that needs to be solved, without the resources they will not be able to provide the education, without the education they cannot grow economically as a Nation.
In a study conducted by World Bank 2009 the expansion of Broadband benefits the lower to middle-income brackets more than higher-income brackets (See Figure 1). The boost in Broadband provides 1.38 additional percentage growth to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for every 10-percentage-point increase in broadband penetration (PRWeb, 2011).
Figure 1: Growth impact of telecommunications (GDP percentage point increase due to 10 percentage-point increase in penetration)
(Kim, Y., et al., 2011, Pg. 3)
By late 2009 the number of broadband subscriptions, both wireline and wireless crossed one billion globally (Kim, Y., et al., 2011, Pg. iii). Most of these connections are in the developed world, with the developing world lagging significantly (Kim, Y., et al., 2011, Pg. iii). The unequal growth is shown in the table 1.2. North American and European Union countries together contain about half of global subscribers, while South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa contain less than 3 percent (Kim, Y., et al., 2011, Pg. 1). Between 2005 and 2008 Eastern Europe added 19.5 million fixed broadband subscribers, raising market penetration in the region to 7.5 percent. During that period African countries added 2.4 million fixed broadband subscribers, bringing market penetration to 0.36 percent (Kim, Y., et al., 2011, Pg. 2). With the greatest financial benefits of broadening broadband falling to low and middle class, we need to equalize the economy and education through better penetration of Broadband in developing countries.

Table 1.2 Global broadband market penetration, September 2009 | Broadband subscribers (million) | Market penetration (per 100 inhabitants) | East Asia & Pacific | 381.4 | 17.8 | Eastern Europe & Central Asia | 49.2 | 12.4 | European Union (EU-27) | 294.1 | 60.5 | Latin America & Caribbean | 52.4 | 9.2 | Middle East & North Africa | 27.8 | 7.6 | North America | 210.9 | 62.5 | South Asia | 9.1 | 0.6 | Sub-Saharan Africa | 15.6 | 1.9 | World | 1040.6 | 15.6 |
(Kim, Y., et al., 2011, Pg. 1)
In order to fully understand the impact of the digital divide the issues and disparities in the United States needs to be looked into. This is especially critical considering that those who are unable to operate and use a computer are likely to remain socially, educationally and financially impaired. There is a clear correlation between a family’s income level and their ownership of a computer and internet use. Only 19.2% of households with less than $15,000 in income had computer access and 12.7% had Internet access in August 2000 (Madigan, E. and Goodlow, M., 2005). In comparison households with an income level of $75,000 and above 86.3% had computer access, and 77.7% had Internet access (Madigan, E. and Goodlow, M., 2005). A major influence in whether or not a family can have a computer or internet access at home is affordability.
Another key factor in the U.S. in determining if a family will have access to digital technologies is the head of households education level. Of households headed by someone with post-college education, 69.9% had Internet access and in homes headed by those educated beyond high school but no college degree 29.9%, and those with less than a high school degree 11.7% (Madigan, E. and Goodlow, M., 2005). As shown, studies have proven a clear correlation between digital access and household income and household education. Race/ethnicity, and geographic location are additional factors that may impact the use of digital technology.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) study found that only 55% of black households and 57% of Hispanics households use broadband Internet (Sindler, M. and Yu, R., 2011). By comparison, 72% of white households and more than 80% of Asian households do (Sindler, M. and Yu, R., 2011). It is estimated 100 million Americans who don't have broadband are in danger of falling behind in a technology-driven economy (Sindler, M. and Yu, R., 2011).
The problem in the U.S. is vastly different than the issues surrounding the digital divide in developing nations. The NTIA says, broadband service is available to about 95% of households in the U.S. (Sindler, M. and Yu, R., 2011). Usage varies greatly by race, level of education and income level. Solutions are being sought by many to make low-cost Broadband service and computers available to families in all income brackets. In developing nations access and resources are harder issues to solve. Many of these countries face access issues as low as 0.36%. Till all citizens in a country have equal access to digital technology, that country will have limited growth and economic stability.

References
Brooks, S., Donovan, P. and Rumble, C. (2005, November). Developing nations, the digital divide and research databases. Serials Review, 31(4), 270-278. doi:10.1016/j.serrev.2005.09.002 Retrieved November 12, 2011 from EBSCOHost
Harwit, E. (2004, December). Spreading telecommunications to developing areas in China: Telephones, the internet and the digital divide. The China Quarterly , No. 180 (Dec., 2004), pp. 1010-1030 Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20192415
International Telecommunication Union [ITU]. (2006, December). Digital.life ITU internet report 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/publications/digitalife/docs/digital-life-web.pdf
Kim, Y., Kelly, T., & Raja, S. (2011, January). Building broadband: Strategies and policies for the developing world. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/Resources/282822-1208273252769/Building_broadband.pdf
Madigan, E. and Goodlow, M. (2005). The Influence of Family Income and Parents Education on Digital Access: Implications for First-Year College Students. Sociological Viewpoints, 2153-62. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from EBSCOhost.
PRWeb (2011, July 29). Website optimization announces June 2011 bandwidth report with data on the economic benefits of broadband internet. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/7/prweb8676524.htm
Sindler, M. and Yu, R. (2011, November 9). Cheap broadband, PCs aimed at low-income families. USA Today. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from http://www.usatoday.com
West, J. (2008). The promise of ubiquity. Internews Europe. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from www.internews.eu