The Digital Divide

Introduction

Our program expands throughout the state of Iowa; therefore, about four times per year, I find myself visiting a variety of school districts and driving varying distances.  Last Thursday, was one such time.  I tend to catch up on NPR on the drive and listen to the debates about whatever policies are central at the time.  Last Thursday, On Point with Tom Ashbrook aired, "Global Internet Access for the Next Four Billion."  Since it finished airing right when I got to the first school of the day, I asked the TAG teacher what the experience had been for her students.  The response was that at school, the technology person was great and the interruptions in their internet service were slim to none, but she admitted that it was quite possible that not all students had internet access at home.  I posed the question to the next counselor I met with and he said that because their town had a cooperative, the internet access was fantastic.  So as I was returning from two very rural schools to the eastern side of the state, I pondered the question, "Is it a basic human right to have access to high-speed internet and how do we address the digital divide?"

The Broadband Report Summary

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development published its report The State of Broadband 2015: Broadband as a Foundation for Sustainable Development this month.  In this report, it addresses how the digital divide is being stubbornly persistent, especially with extending broadband access in spite of the last-mile requirements in remote and rural areas.  It also states that 57% of the world's population does not have regular internet access, but the amount of devices that wealthier parts of the world are connecting are at a ratio of six devices for every one person.  Also, the fastest growing market is in mobile technology.  

The State of Broadband 2015: Broadband as a Foundations for Sustainable Development writes about how the goal of the UN Commission was that every person on the planet would be within easy access of a telephone (meaning a within a day's walk) thirty years ago.  Now, with mobile technology at the tips of more than 50% of the world's population, and 90% of the planet having access to a mobile network, it's not as easy to know what should be done about the digital divide.

Why Does It Matter?

So, we're privileged to live in the United States of America (although income inequality is high and men and women still have wage equity disputes) and have been born into more wealth than people from some countries will see in their lifetimes, sometimes it's hard to care about what people in Africa need when it comes to technology.  However, we should.  We should care because having national broadband will help countries grow economically.

What are some ways it matters to you?