Bridging the Digital Divide: Business and Infrastructure Innovation (2023)

FAQs

What can you do to bridge the digital divide? ›

The digital divide broadens the gap between rich and poor. The rich will advance further as they can access high-quality education and information. On the contrary, the poor will drift even behind due to a lack of technology.

The digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology (ICT), and those that don't or have restricted access.

Close the Gap is an international social enterprise that aims to bridge the digital divide by offering high-quality, pre-owned IT devices donated by European companies to educational, medical and social projects in developing and emerging countries.

Causes and Examples of the Digital Divide

Factors such as low literacy and income levels, geographical restrictions, lack of motivation to use technology, lack of physical access to technology, and digital illiteracy contribute to the digital divide.

There are at least three factors at play: information accessibility, information utilization, and information receptiveness. More than just accessibility, the digital divide consists on society's lack of knowledge on how to make use of the information and communication tools once they exist within a community.

Here are the four principles recognised as possible solutions to the digital divide: economic equality, social mobility, economic growth and democratic organisation.

The digital divide prevents connection.

Without broadband access and reliable internet connectivity, people have far less of an ability to connect with others than the rest of the world.

Who is affected by digital divide? ›

The digital divide is the gap between those who have access to technology, the internet and digital literacy training and those who do not. It affects all generations – both rural and urban communities – as well as a wide variety of industries and sectors.

Today, SMS applications are the most common way used in the developing World to provide eServices. People, knowing the phone number associated with the service, send an SMS to this number with appropriate keywords, and get back the answer by SMS.

The lack of skill in using computer and communication technology also prevents people from accessing digital information. Poor access to computer and communication technology also causes a digital divide. In India the ability to purchase or rent the tool for access to digital information is less among the masses.

Bridge the Divide is an international political organization aimed at establishing dialogue among teenagers of differing ideological views to openly and freely converse. The organization was launched in the wake of increasing political divisiveness both within the United States and abroad.

Dr Aubrey-Smith was drawing on research, including the Addressing the deepening digital divide report (OUP, 2021), which found the digital divide had two core elements: a lack of physical access to technology and a lack of digital skills in both learners and teachers.

When these infrastructures are not operating properly, the chain of production is disrupted. This disruption hinders development, which causes economic deficit and, in turn, brings low standards of living.

These include e-commerce strategies, information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, payment solutions, trade facilitation and logistics, legal and regulatory frameworks, skills development and access to finance.

Plan, execute, learn and repeat. Marketing organizations must devise and commit to a process to achieve true martech enablement.

Infrastructure divide: The lack of modern infrastructures in different regions plays a big part in the digital divide. For example, rural communities often lack access to high-speed internet and other telecommunications services in their towns and communities.

Stratification on the global level is often seen as a divide of ______ and ______. What development has helped to narrow the digital divide? by the rising accessibility of simple smartphones, laptops and tablets. In what sector of the global paid-labor market are women most heavily employed?

Which concept is the digital divide? ›

The digital divide describes the gap between people who have access to affordable, reliable internet service (and the skills and gadgets necessary to take advantage of that access) and those who lack it.

The digital divide depends on five factors that determine the level of equality of access to information technology systems: 1) the existence of physical infrastructure for transmission; 2) the availability of connection equipment such as a computer, modem, and access line; 3) training in the use of the computers and ...

Disadvantages of the Digital Divide

The digital divide has an overall negative impact on the economy and deepens income inequality. Without digital skills and knowledge of advanced technologies, citizens are unable to progress in their careers and contribute less to the country's economy.

Creating a digital footprint is the first of four dimensions of digital transformation, the others include efficiency, effectiveness, and transformation.

Yet, despite the importance of this technology—and the many federal programs designed to improve access to it—millions of Americans either don't have broadband available to them or can't afford to pay for it. The gap between those with and without access to broadband has become known as the “digital divide."

The digital divide also disproportionately affects Native American, Black, and Latinx students. Rural communities face educational disadvantages due to the limited availability of broadband internet access.

The benefits of closing the global digital divide include fostering economic growth, individual success, and better social relations. Without equal access to digital technology, developing countries, underserved communities, and rural areas may not be able to catch up to these advances.

As the largest developing country in the world, China faces a severe digital divide, which exists not only between Mainland China and the developed countries, but also among its own regions and social groups.

How can we bridge the digital divide for an inclusive digital economy? ›

Solutions to bridging the digital divide

Government should support ICT innovations from startups by creating an enabling environment for them to thrive. Government should partner with device manufacturers to produce affordable ICT devices and reduce internet access costs. Big Technology companies make a lot of profits.

Why is it so hard? And what's the secret to getting big companies to transform successfully? There are five main barriers that large enterprises face when trying to innovate: change resistance, knowledge of customers, risk management, organizational agility and transformation vision. Change is uncomfortable.

Lack of Expertise to Lead Digitization Initiatives. Organizational Structure. Lack of Overall Digitization Strategy. Limited Budget.

Bridging strategy is the concept of strategically managing public relations by building a connection between an organization and its publics.

Bridging to 10 is a method of adding two numbers that have an answer larger than 10. Count up to 10 and then add on the remainder. For example, to work out 7 + 4, firstly do 7 + 3 = 10 and then add the remainder of 1 to make 11.

Nielsen has suggested that the digital divide consists of three stages (economic, usability, and empowerment), of which the economic stage is virtually solved.

1st dimension divides: the physical and material barriers to participation. 2nd dimension barriers: the educational and training barriers to participation. 3rd dimension barriers: the differences in levels of participation.

'Bridging the Digital Divide to Engage Students in Higher Education' is an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, sponsored by Microsoft Higher Education, that explores the impact of the new higher education paradigm spurred by covid-19 on teaching and learning experiences, engagement, performance, and value.

Causes and Examples of the Digital Divide

Factors such as low literacy and income levels, geographical restrictions, lack of motivation to use technology, lack of physical access to technology, and digital illiteracy contribute to the digital divide.

How can we increase digital literacy? ›

In the bridging pattern, educators encourage students to maintain their ethnic identity, and teaching-learning strategies are modified to meet the cultural needs of students.

Bridging the generational gap is about many things other than what makes us different. It is about being open to learning and understanding why these differences exist. It is about changing the mindset for which we were traditionally taught to view work and exploring new ways to communicate with others.

There are at least three factors at play: information accessibility, information utilization, and information receptiveness. More than just accessibility, the digital divide consists on society's lack of knowledge on how to make use of the information and communication tools once they exist within a community.

There are three main types of skills within digital literacy. These are consuming skills, creating skills, and communicating skills.

It is made up of six Competencies – Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Learning to Learn, Communication, Collaboration and Social Responsibilities.

What are the 8 components of digital literacy? ›

Digital literacy's 8 elements are: Cognitive, Confident, Cultural, Constructive, Communicative, Civic, Critical, and Creative. They define the many cyber literacy facets, including comprehension, expectations, the digital culture, netiquette, and more. They're based on Dr. Doug Belshaw's model and thesis.