1. Digital Divide & Digital Inequality
Travis Kench
Boise State University
EDTECH 501 : Section 4174 : Spring 2013

2. What is the “digital divide”?
The term “digital divide” refers to the gap between those who have
computers with Internet access and those who do not, as well as the
gap between those who are computer literate and those who are not.
Why don’t the cable and telephone companies
expand their infrastructures and make broadband
more affordable to all consumers?
Because they aren’t regulated
enough by the government!

3. “I think the term “digital divide” sometimes is dangerous in the sense that it
suggests that the minute a new and innovative technology is introduced in the
market, there is a divide unless it is equitably distributed among every part of
society, and that is just an unreal understanding of an American capitalist
system…I think there's a Mercedes divide, I'd like one, but I can't afford it...I'm
not meaning to be completely flip about this--I think it is an important social
issue--but it shouldn't be used to justify the notion of, essentially, the
socialization of deployment of the infrastructure.” –Chairman of the FCC,
Michael Powell (2001)

4. What is “digital inequality”?
“Digital inequality” is primarily based on socio-economic factors that limit people
from obtaining digital informational technologies.
• Income
• Age
• Education
• Household type
• Geographical locations
Socio-economic factors:

5. “Digital Divide” vs. “Digital Inequality”
Definitions below taken from Dictionary.com:
Divide -
• “To separate into parts, groups, sections, etc.”
• “To separate or part from something else; sunder; cut off.”
Inequality -
• “The condition of being unequal; lack of equality; disparity: inequality of size.”
• “Social disparity: inequality between the rich and the poor.”
• “Disparity or relative inadequacy in natural endowments: a startling inequality of intellect, talents,
and physical stamina.”
The “digital divide” is based on the “haves” and “have-nots” analogy in regards to digital technologies.
“A redefined understanding of the “digital divide” that emphasizes a spectrum of inequality across
segments of the population depending on differences along several dimensions of technology access and
use.” –Hargittai, 2003

6. Internet Users in the World
by Geographic Regions – 2012 Q2
1076.7
518.5
273.8
254.9
167.3
90
24.3
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Asia
Europe
North America
Latin America / Carribean
Africa
Middle East
Oceania / Australia
Millions of Users
GeographicRegions
Source: Internet World Stats – www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
2,405,518,376 Internet users estimated for June 30, 2012

7. Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions vs. mobile-broadband
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2013*
27.0
17.1
13.5
9.8
7.6
3.3
0.3
67.5
48.0
46.0
29.5
22.4
18.9
10.9
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
Europe The Americas CIS** World Asia & Pacific Arab States Africa
Per100inhabitants
Fixed (wired)-broadbroad Mobile-broadband
Regions are based on the ITU BDT Regions, see: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/definitions/regions/index.html
Note: * Estimate **Commonwealth of Independent States
Source: ITU World Telecommunication / ICT Indicators database

8. Broadband and Dial-Up Adoption, 2000-2012
% of American adults who access the internet via dial-up or broadband, over time
34%
41%
38% 37%
30%
28%
23%
15%
10%
7%
5%
3% 3% 4%3%
6%
11%
16%
24%
33%
42%
47%
55%
63%
66%
62%
66%65%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Jun-00
Oct-00
Feb-01
Jun-01
Oct-01
Feb-02
Jun-02
Oct-02
Feb-03
Jun-03
Oct-03
Feb-04
Jun-04
Oct-04
Feb-05
Jun-05
Oct-05
Feb-06
Jun-06
Oct-06
Feb-07
Jun-07
Oct-07
Feb-08
Jun-08
Oct-08
Feb-09
Jun-09
Oct-09
Feb-10
Jun-10
Oct-10
Feb-11
Jun-11
Oct-11
Feb-12
Jun-12
Oct-12
%ofAmericanadults
Dial-up internet Broadband internet
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project surveys

9. Global ICT Developments, 2001-2013
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Per100inhabitants
Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions Individuals using the Internet
Fixed-telephone subscriptions Active mobile-broadband subscriptions
Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions
Note: * Estimate
Source: ITU World Telecommunication / ICT Indicators database

10. 21% of adult Americans do not use the internet; these are
the factors they cite as their main reasons for not doing so.
Summary of Reasons
Relevance (not interested + waste of time +
too busy + don't need/want)
48%
Price (too expensive + don't have computer) 21%
Usability (difficult/frustrating + too old + don't
know how + physically unable + worried about
virus/spam/spyware)
18%
Availability / Access 6%
Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, April
29-May 30, 2010 Tracking Survey. N=2,252 adults 18 and older.

11. Telecommunications Act of 1996
Designed to:
• Increase competition between cable and telephone companies.
• Increase jobs within the economy by removing regulatory barriers to entry.
• Decrease prices to consumers for advanced informational technologies.
Actually did:
• Decreased competition because the Act allowed companies to merge.
• Shed approximately half a million jobs.
• Increased prices to consumers because the Act deregulated cable rates.
Between 1996 and 2003 cable rates had skyrocketed by nearly 50 percent and
local phone rates went up by more than 20 percent.

12. Universal Service
• Promote reasonable and affordable rates for consumers.
• Increase nationwide access to advanced telecommunications services.
• Advance the availability of such services to all consumers, including those in
low income, rural, and high cost areas at rates that are reasonably comparable
to those charged in urban areas.
• Provide equitable and non-discriminatory contributions from all providers of
telecommunications services to fund supporting universal service programs.

13. Who gets to use the Universal Service Fund?
• Low Income (Lifeline/Linkup): Provides discounted phone service to low-income
consumers.
• School and Libraries (E-Rate): Provides discounted telecommunications and
Internet to schools and libraries.
• Rural Health Care: Provides reduced rates to rural health care providers for their
telecommunications and Internet services.
• High Cost : It provides subsidies to telecommunications carriers so that consumers
in underserved, remote, or low competition areas can pay telephone service rates
similar to the rates people in urban areas pay.

14. • Cable companies currently do not pay into the Universal Service Fund.
• Since the FCC has refused to define the advanced telecommunications
network operated by cable companies for broadband as a
telecommunications service it cannot use universal service funds.
Why can’t universal service funds be used to
provide affordable internet access to everyone?

15. Impact of not having broadband access on…
% of all American adults
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Finding out about job opportunities / learning career skills
Getting health information
Learning new things to improve/enrich life
Using government services
Keeping up with news and information
Keeping up with local community
43%
34%
31%
29%
23%
19%
23%
28%
31%
27%
27%
32%
28%
35%
32%
37%
47%
45%
6%
3%
6%
7%
3%
4%
Major disadvantage Minor disadvantage Not a disadvantage Don’t know
Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, April 29-May 30, 2010 Tracking Survey. N=2,252
adults 18 and older.

16. Executive Order:
Accelerating Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
June 2012 – President Barack Obama
• The Federal Government controls nearly 30 percent of all land in the United States and has
goals to expand broadband infrastructures.
• Develop and implement a strategy to facilitate the timely and efficient deployment of
broadband facilities on Federal lands, buildings, and rights of way, federally assisted
highways, and tribal lands.
• “Dig once requirements” designed to reduce the number and scale of repeated excavations
for the installation and maintenance of broadband facilities in rights of way.

17. New York State
Broadband Adoption by Income
37%
85%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Under $20,000/year $60,000 - $100,000/year
Source: NY 2011-2012 Broadband Annual Report

18. New York State
Broadband Adoption by Education
44%
84%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
High School Education Bachelors Degree
Source: NY 2011-2012 Broadband Annual Report

19. New York State
Broadband Adoption by Age
82%
38%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
18 - 24 65 & over
Source: NY 2011-2012 Broadband Annual Report

20. “Digital Divide” & “Digital Inequality”
Solutions for School Districts

21. Monthly tech nights:
Open to the staff, general public, and parents. This type of event
would serve as professional development for the staff, it would
introduce the general public to new technologies along with ways to
use them, and it would allow the parents to see what the students are
learning. If you teach the parents about the technology they will
become an educational resource for their children when they have
projects or homework to do that involves the use of technology at
home.

22. Not everyone has the capability of being connected to
the internet at home. We live in an area where some
low income families don’t have computers or internet
capabilities. These families are at a great
disadvantage when it comes to being able to use
educational technology resources outside of the
school day. The district(s) could partner with local
businesses to advertise free Wi-Fi hotspots along with
working with the businesses to seek out funding
resources for this cause. Free Wi-Fi hotspots would
also need to have computers or tablets that are
available for public use.
Free Wi-Fi:

23. School districts that are willing to partner with local libraries and
share educational technology resources would also provide a great
opportunity for the community. Many people don’t get the
opportunity to interact with the technology that we have access to
within the school district. Expanding wireless coverage, increasing
the number of internet accessible devices available to the general
public, and increasing the number of hours the facilities are available
to the public would all be ways to help the issue of “digital
inequality”.
Public libraries:

24. Offering courses on digital citizenship to the staff and even to the
general public. Teaching people the basics of how to appropriately
and ethically use miscellaneous technologies is greatly needed.
Students would also benefit from a course as such because
cyberbullying is running rampant in society. Social networking is
also a topic that should be taught because a great deal of people are
ignorant regarding the ramifications for certain misuses of the social
network resources along with other technology resources.
Digital citizenship courses:

25. Technology is forever changing and a “digital divide” will always exist based
on numerous socio-economic factors. The only thing that will help bridge the
gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is forced regulation by the
government. The government must promote competition between the cable
providers and telephone companies to drive the price of advanced
telecommunication services down enough that lower income families can
afford them.
My opinion:

26. “The rich are getting gouged, the poor are very often left
out, and this means that we’re creating, yet again, two
Americas, and deepening inequality through this
communications inequality.” –Susan Crawford

27. Works Cited
Cooper, M. (2004). Expanding the digital divide & falling behind on broadband. Consumer Federation
of America and Consumers Union. Retrieved from website:
http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/digitaldivide.pdf
DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Celeste, C., & Shafer, S. (2004). From unequal access to differentiated
use: A literature review and agenda for research on digital inequality. Social Inequality, 355-400.
Retrieved from http://www.eszter.com/research/pubs/dimaggio-etal-digitalinequality.pdf
Hargittai, E. (2003). The digital divide and what to do about it. New Economy Handbook, 821-
839. Retrieved from http://www.eszter.com/research/pubs/hargittai-digitaldivide.pdf
International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). Retrieved from website: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-
D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2013.pdf
International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.itu.int/ITU-
D/ict/publications/idi/material/2012/MIS2012-ExecSum-E.pdf
Morbo. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Understanding-the-Universal-
Service-Fund-114526
CONTINUED

28. New York State Broadband Program Office, (2011). New York State broadband program office 2011-12
annual report. Retrieved from website: http://nysbroadband.ny.gov/assets/documents/2011-
2012BroadbandAnnualReport.pdf
Smith, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from website: http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2010/Home
broadband 2010.pdf
Stiakakis, E., & Alexandropoulou-Egyptiadou, E. (2009).The digital divide among under-age
individuals: An economic and legal approach. In 8th International Conference on Computer Ethics:
Philosophical Enquiry (pp. 794-807). Retrieved from
http://users.uom.gr/~stiakakis/download/C[5].pdf
U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from website:
http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010-execsumm.pdf
Wexler, C. V. (2005). The fallout from the telecommunications act of 1996: Unintended consequences
and lessons learned. Retrieved from Common Cause Education Fund website:
http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/{FB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-
BD4429893665}/FALLOUT_FROM_THE_TELECOMM_ACT_5-9-05.PDF
Whitehouse.gov (2012) Executive Order -- Accelerating Broadband Infrastructure Deployment | The
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Apr 2013].