In this essay I will be exploring the digital divide and how it has changed throughout the years. The digital divide is the differences between people, families, businesses and geographical areas created by different levels of access to information and communication technologies. There are many factors that contribute to the digital divide such as...
Technological factors
One reason for differences in access to the internet is the communications structure available. In the UK, all areas of the country have access to fixed line telephones and about 90% have access to mobile communications. Access to broadband communications depends on where you live. Rural areas will have less readily available broadband connections whereas city areas will have
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At a personal level they could include missing bargains, issues to do with employment and business opportunities as a means of making a living. Some countries cannot afford the investment. Others such as North Korea don’t want to open their economies to the outside. In some countries, businesses are not interested because the people are so poor that there is no profit for them in return for the investment. Also there are social impacts of the digital divide. In the UK, there are some who cannot afford new equipment; therefore they cannot keep up with the increasing speed of development. Although it could be argued that this is not an issue in the UK, most people have enough money for quite a high standard of living so connecting up is usually a matter of personal priorities. The educational impact is that in the UK, there is a lot of Government-provided IT access at school. Every school is expected to teach ICT and all UK schools are connected to the internet. As we have already seen, the nature of the provision varies a lot. Even at a local level, there are different degrees of provision in different areas. The cultural impact is that the patchy nature of internet connections across the world has affected and has also been affected by local customs and attitudes. In particular, there are some countries which severely restrict the degree to which citizens can access the internet. China places …show more content…
Some schools are loaning equipment to pupils, particularly to those with special needs. Also increased competition in the telecom market has meant that broadband access has been made available more quickly, as companies race to cash in on the desire to connect at high speed. The benefits of being connected are apparent to most people and demand will ensure that the supply is eventually provided. Affordability is less of an issue as prices come down, some say “people will afford it if they want it”
Benefits
• computer skills can help people avoid poverty
• can greatly improve their standard of living
• ICT skills can help get knowledge that can improve their