Explaining caste-based digital divide in India

With the increasing importance of information and communication technologies in access to basic services like education and health, the question of digital divide based on caste assumes importance in India where large socioeconomic disparities persist between different caste groups. Studies on caste-based digital inequality are still scanty in India. Using nationally representative survey data, this paper analyzes the first-level digital divide (ownership of computer and access to the Internet) and the second-level digital divide (individuals skills to use computer and the Internet) between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Further, this paper identifies the caste-based differences in socioeconomic factors that contribute to the digital divide between these groups using a non-linear decomposition method. The results show that there exists large first-level and second-level digital divide between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others in India. The non-linear decomposition results indicate that caste-based digital divide in India is rooted in historical socioeconomic deprivation of disadvantaged caste groups. More than half of the caste-based digital gap is attributable to differences in educational attainment and income between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Findings of this study highlight the urgent need for addressing educational and income inequality between the different caste groups in India in order to bridge the digital divide.     

Bridging the digital divide among low income urban communities. Leveraging use of Community Technology Centers

To fully leverage the availability of the internet services in Kenya, all the citizens need to be able to access and use the internet and related services. The availability of 4G networks, cyber cafés and fiber connectivity in most residential areas of Nairobi has allowed many Nairobi residents to be part of its information-based society. But, as with the other existing social inequalities in Nairobi, many people residing in the city’s low-income areas lack access to the internet. This has a negative impact on the residents’ prospects as the governments and businesses are increasingly delivering their services online. Using a pre-tested questionnaire, data were collected from five hundred and fifty respondents on their internet access and digital literacy skills among the residents of the Mathare Slum. From the survey, the study found existence of limited digital literacy skills and lack of internet access among the residents of the Mathare Slum. The study then used the Community Technology Centers (CTCs) intervention approach to narrowing the digital divide by setting up a CTC in the Mathare Slum to offer free community internet access and digital literacy skills training. Eight cohorts, each of eighteen residents, were offered free digital literacy training for five weeks and free unlimited internet access for four months. The study then evaluated the trainees’ internet usage continuance intentions after four months of continued use of the internet at the CTC. The results indicate that perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, internet self-efficacy, and confirmation of expectations all significantly influence the participants’ satisfaction with use of the internet. The results also show that continuance intentions of the participants from low income household to continue using internet beyond the CTC can be predicted by perceived service cost, satisfaction, internet self-efficacy and perceived usefulness. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of CTCs as an intervention approach and a replicable model that can be used to bridge the urban digital divide among low income urban communities for the development of an all-inclusive information-based society. Implications and recommendations for policy, practice and research are provided.     

Gender digital divide in Rwanda: A qualitative analysis of socioeconomic factors

This study aims at exploring how information and communications technology (ICT) is accessed and used by women and men in Rwanda. Specifically, we analyze the factors that contribute to the gender digital divide in Rwanda. In addition, we assess the importance of equal access to ICTs between genders. Rwanda is a particulary interesting case study, since previous studies on gender differences in the usage and accessibility of ICTs have focused on Western countries, while Africa, and Rwanda in particular, have been less covered. The qualitative method of in-depth interviews was used to collect the data. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis technique. The findings of this study reveal that a gender digital divide still exists in Rwanda, even though the government puts forth much effort to eradicate this phenomenon. Reasons for barriers for women’s access to ICTs were found in social, economic and cultural factors, such as feelings of lack of self-worth, self-confidence, and proper educations; heavy domestic responsibilities; and computer anxiety. The findings also indicated that equal access to ICTs would be a shortcut to economic growth in Rwanda. This study concludes that Rwandan women need to be better educated in the use of computer technologies. Certain gender-sensitive strategies that guide the use of ICTs in this way also need to be established.     

Africa and the digital divide

The digital divide is a phenomenon linked not only to the topic of access to the Internet, but also to the one of usage and usage benefit. In this paper we take a look at the global digital divide concerning Africa, we analyze the situation with the help of macro-data and by discussing specific examples (Ghana, South Africa). We also address suggestions that have been made for closing the global digital divide and point out that such solutions require more fundamental changes of society and cannot be achieved by technology alone.     

An analysis of mobile Internet access in Thailand: Implications for bridging the digital divide

Mobile Internet is growing around the world, bypassing the poor legacy of wired infrastructure. This growth can be observed even in developing countries like Thailand. To cope with this trend, this study attempts to provide guidance to a national regulatory agency (NRA) by addressing the following question: What are the key determinant factors for individual consumer to access mobile Internet? A discrete choice model is employed to examine empirically whether price, service, and application attributes, socio-economic variables, and service provider have a systematic link with the decision of the consumer. The data from a national survey in 2010 commissioned by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of Thailand are used for the analysis.     

印度发展农村电信的方式与启示

印度为发展农村电信，缩小城乡数字鸿沟，在农村地区积极推行了多项电信实验工程，其中富有特色的包括乡村信使模式Gramdoot、东北部地区的社区信息中心CIC、CorDECT无线本地环路模型和亚洲媒体实验室项目。这些项目由于符合当地农村现实，不拘泥于形式，技术性能合理，安全为满足农村人口生产活动需要等而获得成功。     

ADSL deployment in the Community of Madrid: Investigating the geographical factors of the digital divide

Realising the potential of the Information Society requires an adequate broadband infrastructure, a sine qua non condition for usage. In many countries, the broadband offer’s geographical coverage strongly depends on ADSL expansion. Thus, it seems important to know the variables conditioning the deployment of its commercial offer.     

Behind the growth of FinTech in South Korea: Digital divide in the use of digital financial services

Advancements in financial technology, known as “FinTech,” will help both businesses and consumers of financial services. South Korea has a well-established FinTech infrastructure and resources, and has already incorporated digital financial services into daily life. However, the benefit of the proliferation of FinTech might be disproportionate in reaching diverse groups. The goal of this study is to examine how digital financial services are used in South Korea with an emphasis on disparities in the use of digital financial services. This study used the 2019 Digital Divide Survey conducted in South Korea to conduct OLS regression analysis, and create the Concentration Index (CI), which estimates the disparities that are systematically related to income level. Next, decomposition analysis on the CI was conducted to determine what factors help explain the disparity in the use of digital financial services. The analysis confirmed that there are considerable differences in the usage by income level. The multivariate results reveal that one’s device proficiency and active involvement in utilizing the internet for basic activities played significant roles in explaining the level of digital financial services usage. Poorer individuals' attitudes toward new technologies, such as a lack of interest in participating in learning and confidence in obtaining new digital skills, may prevent them from using digital financial services. This study is one of few studies to use the CI technique to examine the digital divide in digital financial services, and provide insights for educators, businesses, and policymakers.     

Information technology use among individuals in rich and poor countries: The disappearing divide

According to the conventional measure the digital divide assigns the same weight to each country regardless of its population size. In this note by contrast the divide is conceptualized as the absolute number of Internet users and mobile phone subscribers in developed as against developing countries. On this basis I find that the conventional gap in IT use between these countries either shrinks dramatically or is actually reversed. In estimating the new measure the role of China turns out to be central.     

Determinants of Internet skills,uses and outcomes. A systematic review of the second- and third-level digital divide

Recently, several digital divide scholars suggested that a shift is needed from a focus on binary Internet access (first-level digital divide) and Internet skills and use (second-level digital divide) to a third-level digital divide in which the tangible outcomes of Internet use are highlighted. A plethora of studies have been conducted to identify determinants of digital divides. Unfortunately, there is a lack of consistency in the terminology used. Moreover, terms are often not theoretically grounded. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review of digital divide determinants. The results show that the third-level digital divide was underexposed. The primary focus is on Internet use. More importantly, the identified determinants show that digital divide research is largely limited to sociodemographic and socioeconomic determinants.     

ICT expansion and the digital divide in democratic freedoms: An analysis of the impact of ICT expansion, education and ICT filtering on democracy

In recent years, several case studies have appeared on how mobile telephones, SMS and the Internet had an impact on political activities. It has been widely argued that information and communication technology (ICT) is influencing democracy all over the world. However, few studies provide any analysis of how ICT expansion correlates with measures of democracy. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the global expansion of ICT and the level of democracy within nations. We analyze archival data on 133 countries from 1995 to 2003, which was the period-of-time of explosive ICT expansion. Some important findings of our study are: (a) there is a growing digital divide in democratic freedoms among countries; (b) in spite of rapid ICT expansion in some countries, Internet filtering is having a significant impact on democratic freedoms.     

Urban governance and big corporations in the digital economy: An investigation of socio-spatial implications of Google Fiber in Kansas City

In February 2010, Google challenged US cities to compete for being the site of its first attempt at building ultra-high-speed fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, promising speeds up to one hundred times faster than pre-existing broadband services. More than 1100 cities applied. Kansas City, however, was announced as the winner of the competition. This paper explores the rollout of Google Fiber in Kansas City from three different perspectives. First, we provide a close examination of urban governance and the Fiber project – highlighting numerous regulatory concessions and incentives provided to Fiber during the construction phase. Second, we explore the ways in which pre-existing digital divides and socio-economic inequalities impacted the Fiber plan for Kansas City. Finally, in an effort to better understand the geographic intricacies of Fiber service, this paper uses a novel data mining technique and exploratory spatial data analysis to highlight the provision footprints for two counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area. We conclude with a discussion of the salient policy implications of projects like Fiber for urban governance, highlighting both the promises and stark realities of such ventures.     

Digital inequality in the Appalachian Ohio: Understanding how demographics,internet access,and skills can shape vital information use (VIU)

Access to information and resources via the Internet is an increasingly vital dimension of contemporary life. However, there can be several impediments to optimal Internet utilization in the form of access, skills, and motivation. Even when access is available, several digital inequalities arise as citizens often lack the skills and motivations to pursue those vital uses through the Internet to the best of their advantage. Digital inequalities in the hills of the Appalachian area of Ohio are often manifested in terms of social, cultural and geographic divides. Not only do the hills block wireless signals and make cables expensive to install, but regional poverty also drives away telecom investment. We conducted a survey of Appalachian Ohio to explore digital inequity issues and the determinants of online participation for things that matter. Through a number of analyses, we explore how Internet access and digital skills impact online contribution to the community in terms of services and resources considered to be basic social needs: health, employment, education, and social media. These social needs, what we have called Vital Internet Use (VIU) can determine citizens’ political and civic participation, societal contribution, and overall benefit to their communities. Centered on the concepts of digital access, Internet skills, and benefit outcomes, we extend knowledge in this domain and propose a comprehensive framework of VIU.     

Increasing inequalities in what we do online: A longitudinal cross sectional analysis of Internet activities among the Dutch population (2010 to 2013) over gender,age, education,and income

We investigate types of Internet activities among a representative sample of the Dutch population from 2010 to 2013. We examined usage patterns of seven types of Internet activities (i.e., information, news, personal development, commercial transaction, social interaction, leisure, and gaming) and related these patterns with gender, age, education, and income. Activities related to news, personal development, commercial transaction, and social interaction increased in popularity. For most capital enhancing activities, men, younger people, higher educated people, and people with higher than average incomes were prominent. These observations, however, are subject to change. The Internet seems to provide increasingly more capital-enhancing opportunities for those with higher education and income, which would accordingly reinforce their already strong positions in society.     

Achieving millennium development goals: Role of ICTS innovations in India

The paper outlines the problem faced by India, in dealing with its rural poor, who live in 600,000 villages with poor infrastructure and continue to do so, even after 60 years of independence and constitute about 72.2% of 1027 million. The paper also deals with means and measures to increase their income level. To achieve this, the government must redefine its policies and strategies, deploy information and communication technologies (ICTs) innovations with application and active participation from development organizations. It presents an overview of ICTs and their role in development, particularly in the context of millennium development goals (MDGs). Details select ICTs innovations of India in achieving MDGs. Further, it lists out India’s position in relation to MDGs by highlighting India’s target, current status and steps taken to achieve them. Concludes that with well thought out planning, comprehensive development strategies devised in the national policy and matching implementation process, it is hoped that India will be able to meet the challenges and achieve all the MDGs targets much earlier than the targeted dates. India’s progress in achieving the MDGs will impact not only on its own people but also on the development of South Asia and the world.     

中印农民科学素养教育标准比较研究

本文简要回顾了科学素养概念形成的过程,介绍各国制定本国科学素养教育课程的情况,在此基础上,详细介绍我国《农民科学素质教育大纲》与印度《全民基础科学》的理念和内容,并将这二者进行比较,探讨科学技术指导思想和传统文化对两国科学素养研究产生的影响,为我国的农民科学素养教育政策和措施的完善提供借鉴。     

Exploring the evolution of digital television in China: An interplay between economic and political interests

This paper argues that the primary obstacles facing the transition to digital TV involve: (1) administrative infighting, (2) heavy-handed policymaking processes, and (3) the pursuit of self-interest and centralized control by the state network. After profiling China’s television infrastructure, the paper concludes that the Communist Party’s current policy initiative for the development of its digital television industry is not feasible.     

项目教学法在数字电子技术课程中的应用

《数字电子技术》是高职电子专业一门承上启下的专业基础课,具有较强的逻辑性、应用性和工程实践性。在《数字电子技术》课程教学中采用项目教学法,在实际教学环节中少讲理论,多讲实用电路应用,多给学生提供更多实践动手机会,可以真正做到工学结合,理实一体,可以取得较好的教学效果。     

Digital television adoption: Comparing the adoption of digital terrestrial television with the adoption of digital cable in Taiwan

This study employed Rogers’ model to compare the diffusion of digital terrestrial television with the diffusion of digital cable in Taiwan. A telephone survey, which yielded 753 valid questionnaires, was conducted to collect data. The results of this study show that the factors affecting the intention to adopt digital terrestrial television differed widely from those affecting the intention to adopt digital cable. The diffusion of digital cable was discovered to be generally congruent with the prediction of Rogers’ model, while the diffusion of digital terrestrial television was not. This second finding reveals a limitation in Rogers’ model, namely, its alleged pro-innovation bias. It may be that the respondents in this study looked favorably on digital cable because they considered it, and not digital terrestrial television, to be an inevitable technology. Furthermore, this study found that awareness played an important role in respondents’ adoption of digital television. This study therefore suggests that, to accelerate digital conversion, Taiwan’s government should establish policies to educate people about digital television.     

The digital switchover as an information society initiative: The role of public policy in promoting access to digital ICTs

The switchover to digital communications was launched as a major information society policy initiative across Europe, and was expected to be a key contributor to the spreading of internet access across all households. More than a decade after its introduction, and as the digital switchover is well-underway, digital television (DTV) is not delivering the promise of interactivity for all. Drawing on the principle of universal access as a politically determined and technologically bound concept, this article assesses the role of public policy in expanding and promoting the diffusion of new media technologies. More specifically, it reviews policy developments in the UK in order to examine the making of DTV as a universally available technology for broadcast transmissions; the lack of a commitment to support access to interactive services; and implications for end-users.