Page 21 - ICT Nepal News Issue 02

between those with and without
lnternet access, particularly
broadband.
The digital divide typically
exists between those in cities and
those in rural areas; between the
educated and the uneducated;
between socioeconomic grouPS;
and, globally, between the more and
less industrially developed nations.
Even among populations with some
access to technology, the digital
divide can be evident in the form
of lower-performa nce com Puters,
lower-speed wi reless con nections,
lower-priced connections such
as dial-up, and limited access to
su bscri ption-based content.
The reality of a separate-access
marketplace is problematic because
of the rise of services such as video
on demand, video conferencing and
virtual classrooms, which require
access to high-speed, high-quality
connections that those on the
less-served side of the digital divide
Digital divide is a term that refers cannot access andlor afford. And
to the gap between demographics while adoption of smartphones is
and regions that have access growing, even among lower-income
to modern information and and minority groups, the rising costs
communications technology, a nd of data plans and the difficulty of
those that don't or have restricted performing tasks and transactions
access. This technology can include on smartphones continue to inhibit
the telephone, television, personal the closing of the gap.
computers and the lnternet. According to recent studies and
Well before the late 20th century, reports, the digital divide is still very
digital divide referred chiefly to the much a reality today. A June 2013
division between those with and U.S. White House broadband rePort,
without telephone access; after the for example, showed that onlY 71%
late 1990s the term began to be of American homes have adoPted
used mainly to describe the split broadband, a figure lower than in
other countries with comparable
gross domestic prod uct.

Proponents for closing the digital
divide include those who argue it
would improve literacy, democracy,
social mobility, economic equality
%-;
and economic growth.
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