Over the years there has been a lot of talk about the digital divide. Connectivity has been a key area of focus to narrow the growing chasm that exists between the digital ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. However, there may be other factors and considerations that must also be addressed in order to narrow that divide.

 

An article in yesterday’s edition of the New York Times (3 December 2020) caught my eye. The title was, Think local about the digital divide. As someone who has spent most of my life in developing countries, and being part of the Caribbean tech community, I am continually thinking about the digital divide that exists in our societies – the chasm between the digital ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ – and whether or not, or the extent to which, we can narrow that divide.

Truthfully, the question of the narrowing the digital divide tends to rear its head regularly, as some of the challenges of individuals at the base of the socioeconomic pyramid in our societies, are frequently featured in the media, and/or we, as individuals, may have contact or experiences that highlight that plight. However, it could be argued that solutions that move the needle in a meaningful way, have been a challenge, and in their absence the chasm has gotten wider.

Hence, when I came across the New York Times article, the title had me excited. Could it offer new and different options and solutions that could be applied in the Caribbean, and other developing countries? The short answer is no, not really.

Generally, although we tend to consider the digital divide in terms of individuals – people not being able to afford computing devices, Internet connectivity, etc. – the divide also exists in communities or geographic location, where it might not be economical for networks to be extended.  Connectivity that can be considered ‘uneconomical’ include villages and communities in remote areas, or in difficult terrain that are sparsely populated. However, ‘uneconomical’ may also include communities where, due to the socioeconomic state of the residents, take-up of service would be low, thus not providing the telcos with a reasonable return on their investment.

In the New York Times article, the solution offered was community-based Internet networks, such as the community networks that the Internet Society has been advocating for over the last few years, which are being rolled out by various communities across the Caribbean region. Further, many countries have been implementing free public Wi-Fi initiatives, especially in major towns and cities across the region, to provide free Internet connectivity where it would not otherwise exist.

However, as I perused the article, and although it provided a connectivity solution, I realised – perhaps in the context of the Caribbean region, and of developing countries more widely – that connectivity was not enough. These three additional points came to mind, which are not new, but frequently seem to be divorced from most conversations on narrowing the digital divide.

 

Affordability

Affordability is still a hurdle to be overcome. Although there might be free Internet access available, people might still struggle with securing suitable devices, such as a smartphone, tablet computer or even a laptop computer. This challenge is frequently overlooked, and has become acute during the pandemic, especially for school-aged children, who ideally, should have their own device, in order to connect to their classes online.

Further, and speaking from a developing country’s perspective, it is likely that the quality of the connectivity of the free, public networks that are available, is poor, and would not facilitate efficient and effective use as initially envisaged. In other words, free, public networks ought not be the sole or primary source of Internet connectivity. Instead, it ought to supplement what individuals have at home, or are able to support on their personal devices.

 

Digital literacy

Although a lot of us own and are using computing devices, to post on social media, to browse online, and to engage via instant messaging and emails, the majority of us are still digitally ignorant. Thanks to Web 3, touch technology, and the general simplicity of smartphones and tablet computers, it is pretty easy to use those devices and to do a range of exiting things – to the point where a case for increased digital literacy could fall on deaf ears.

However digital literacy is very important, and will become even more crucial as technology continues to permeate more aspects of our lives. Improved digital literacy will not only help us better leverage the Internet, it will also to develop crucial skills and to be better able to contextualise technology and its implications in our lives and societies. As was noted in this week’s podcast episode, ICTP 134: The future of work, digital poverty and silver foxes, with Dr Maurice McNaughton of the University of the West Indies, ‘digital skills poverty’ is becoming an important indicator of the skills gap in societies.

 

Literacy and numeracy

Finally, if a two-year old can use a tablet computer or a smartphone, it could be argued that literacy (and to a lesser degree, numeracy) skills are not critical to use those devices. However, in narrowing the digital divide, the focus is not be solely on being able to use smart devices. Instead, the objective ought to be on truly leveraging the access and connectivity that those devices afford.

On an aside, and to be clear and with regard to literacy, a point could be made that the wide availability of text-to-voice applications obviates the need for literacy. However, in addition to reading skills, literacy encompasses proficiency in comprehension and vocabulary, among other things, which text-to-voice and other applications may not be able to fully replace.

Hence, and in order leverage technology successfully, core real-world and traditional skills are still crucial. It may thus mean that a more holistic approach to better tackle the digital divide may be necessary than what we might initially had been led to believe.

 

 

Image credit: Riette Salzmann (Pixabay)