1.3 Digital Divide: Tackling the Divide on the Ground

  There is clearly a digital divide between higher economically developed countries, and less economically developed countries. Many initiatives have been put forward to help improve peoples ICT knowledge and skills in the less developed countries, some being more effective than others. These have included things such as community IT centres, or an IT kiosk being placed in the central point of a community village, teaching the community how to use the resources, having the opportunity to change the way these people live.
  Broadcasting is an example of improving the opportunities people have, through using ICT. Satellite broadcasting allows remote areas across the world recieve information which may otherwise be impossible to gain. In the past these remote areas had to rely on unreliable equipment, with low quality broadcasts, however, now due to the new initiatives put forward they have access to high quality images, and sound. This provides these people with entertainment, educational and informative benifits, which could change their life. However, not all communities are willing to accept technology so openly into their conservative villages, who reject Western societies norms and values. Even though some broadcasts have been used to provide health warnings, agricultural information, and weather disaster warnings, not all are willing to accept and change. This could be a very useful advance in technology for remote areas of the world, however the people who are benefiting, need to first want to accept it.
  An example of ICT improving the quality of life is in India and Cambodia, using the 'DakNet solution'. The system in place solves the lack of internet access through a bus, car, motorcycle, or even an ox cart being driven round a route once a day, transmitting and collecting wirelessly to villages, carrying a mobile access point. When the vehicle comes into range with a village information kiosk it transmits and receives data, uploading and downloading to and from the internet. Although this is not a 24/7 accessible solution, it sllows the data to be transmitted in a way that ordinary modems could not acheive because they require a permanent power source and phone line connection. This has allowed remote villagers to now have access to digital solutions to some of their problems, with evidence of it saving money and time in running aspects of their life. Due to the success of the 'DakNet solution', the idea can be transferred to other remote areas of the world to improve conditions of living.
  Other examples include pedal powered wirless computers. This has been used in one of the poorest countries on Earth, Phon Kham, Laos. The 200 villagers live in bamboo houses, with no electricity and telephone system. But put in place is the most simplest computer with internet access, powered by pedalling a bike, and it runs all throughout the year. This system put in place was not for entertainment, but to help villagers find information to help them, for example the prices that commodities are being sold at the local market town, and the capital. The villagers can then decide whether to take the journey