Reader Response - Global Digital Divide [Final]

In a Euromonitor blog post entitled "Global Digital Divide Persists But Is Narrowing" (2011), according to trade sources, it is reported that developed countries are having higher digital connectivity as compared to developing countries currently. At the same time, the author claims that the growth rate of internet accessibility in developing countries will be higher than developed countries. As a result, this has impacted the "economic, social, political and cultural" aspects of both developed and developing countries.

Personally, I am quite skeptical towards the conclusion the author has made regarding developing countries’ prospective growth in digital connectivity being faster than developed countries. The author mentions that according to International Telecommunications Union, “the total number of fixed broadband users in developing regions rose by 253.5% between 2005 and 2010” but “in developed regions it rose by 109.7%.” However, this only shows an overview. By over-generalising the situation, the author concludes that developing regions have higher broadband penetration’s growth rate than developed regions due to certain major developing countries’ swift growth, but it does not reflect that all developing countries are able to experience higher growth rate than developed countries. Due to the situations that some developing countries are experiencing, these countries may face a formidable journey when attempting to achieve an increased amount of digital connectivity.

Firstly, most developing countries lack the hefty funds needed to construct the IT infrastructure needed for gaining access to the digital world. This is because these developing countries are currently surviving on extremely low GDP per capita. According to the World Bank Group (n.d.), Afghanistan, a developing country located in South Asia, is only achieving a low GDP per capita of US$678 currently. Similar to Afghanistan, Bangladesh has only attained a GDP per capita of US$829. In contrast, USA, a modern developed country, has achieved a high GDP per capita of US$53,143. Thus, developed countries have ample funds to invest and widen their current IT network. On the other hand, with their country’s economy in jeopardy, it will be difficult for certain developing countries, such as Afghanistan and Bangladesh, to produce the funds required to shape the country’s IT infrastructure and increase growth of digital availability.

Secondly, even though basic IT infrastructure has been established in a particular country, the people living in that country may not possess prior knowledge in using the newly acquired technology. For example, Wakefield (2010) has mentioned that there were concerns raised in Hungary over internet usage being too complicated for the Hungarian citizens to comprehend due to absence of “national e-inclusion policy” when the country started investing in fibre-optic cables infrastructure. As the IT technology may feel alien to the citizens living in some of the developing countries, it will take time and effort to educate them regarding usage of IT. Thus, this will stifle the growth of digital connectivity in the country.

Lastly, some developing countries are experiencing breaches in their national security that can slow down the growth rate of digital connectivity. Unfortunately, wars and internal strife are common in developing countries located in certain parts of the world. For example, African developing countries, such as Mali and Mozambique, experienced internal conflicts in recent years. As most countries will prioritize protecting itself first, funds will be directed to strengthen the country’s defences instead of improving citizens’ quality of life in a manner, such as provision of internet access. In worst case scenario, the amount of existing IT usage in the country can shrink due to destroyed IT infrastructure in the conflicts.

In conclusion, as not all developing countries are experiencing the same situation, some countries may face more issues compared to other developing countries when trying to achieve a higher amount of digital connectivity in the country. Therefore, it is difficult to assume that all developing countries will attain faster growth rate in accessibility and usage of internet than developed countries. 

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References

Euromonitor International. (2011, February 11). Global digital divide persists but is narrowing. (2011, February 11). Retrieved September 04, 2014, from http://blog.euromonitor.com/2011/02/global-digital-divide-persists-but-is-narrowing-1.html

Wakefield, J. (2010, March 19). World wakes up to digital divide. BBCNews.com. Retrieved September 05, 2014, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8568681.stm 

World Bank Group (n.d.). GDP per capita (current US$). Retrieved September 05, 2014, from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/countries?display=default

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