Lower rates of computer adoption and usage in rural areas has been called a "digital divide." This work explores the current state of connectivity within a rural town of the Pacific Northwest with a quantitative and qualitative overview of computer usage and access within civic and activity clubs, ranging from town's Rotarians to its bowling leagues. An Anthropological Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP) leverages focus groups, mini-surveys and ethnographic methods within the clubs to explore the topography of the digital divide. Civic clubs with younger, higher-income, better-educated members have higher rates of e-mail penetration (93%-56%) while activity clubs fare far worse on average (28%). Research establishes a link between club demographics and e-mail penetration rates, by showing that older clubs report less e-mail usage. This work explores the conditions that exacerbate the digital divide as well as highlighting those which may mitigate it. Variables include the presence or absence of technological leadership and the nature of ties to corporate and/or national organizations. Additionally, research shows that rural settings limit and structure the opportunities for computer skill acquisition. Civic clubs are increasingly reliant on computer-mediated communication (CMC) and computer-mediated information (CMI) sources and correspondingly, also upon the computer proficient members who can manage websites, or create and distribute electronic bulletins. "New media" is challenging traditional club norms and favors the contributions of more technological literate members, while handicapping the participation of non-computer using members. Beyond the hyped-up prospects of increased efficiency and communication amongst geographically dispersed members of such clubs, the technology is also creating new forms of exclusion. Recommendations include: 1) a technology decision-making process that ensures consensus among club members by including non-users; 2) creative capacity-building to support computer usage; and 3) by-laws which ensure that members are not marginalized because of a current or chronic lack of computer usage. This work grounds expectations of new technology, by providing a factual account of computer usage within clubs and exploring how clubs are using computers to facilitate their activities. / Graduation date: 2003

A tremendous disparity exists between the few countries with expansive access to information and communications technologies, and the many others still lacking the basic infrastructure and unable to participate in the information age. / While the current trade regime under the Basic Telecommunications Agreement, which forms part of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, offers many opportunities for developing countries, its potential for bridging the digital divide through increased flows of FDI is likely to benefit only those countries with large, lucrative markets. Global market failures would result in deepening the digital divide facing the poorest of the developing countries. Unable to come under the new liberalization paradigm, these countries are likely to be left even further behind. / A legal approach to bridging the digital divide requires going beyond the current trade regime and engaging in a new regime-building exercise. Drawing upon the domestic universal service concept, this thesis calls for a global universal service and access (GUSA) regime. Such a regime entails a new form of international cooperation that harnesses all available resources and includes the recasting of international accounting rates and a revitalization of official development assistance. It also involves institutional reform and reconfiguration through the creation of a new international financial institution, a Global Universal Service Fund (GUSF) as well as the strengthening of the role of the ITU as the custodian of the GUSA regime. / The GUSF would be an independently managed, politically balanced and internationally accountable institution. Because of its flexibility and its mandate to supplement market mechanisms and respond to global market failures, the fund would go a long way towards subsidizing network build out programs in the poorest developing countries, and ensuring widespread connectivity. The proposal is legally defensible under human rights law as well as trade and telecommunications laws, is economically justified under the global public goods doctrine, and technologically feasible given current capacity to connect the world and create the global village.

No description available.

Library's copy imperfect: bibliographical references (leaf 255) wanting. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1996. / Microfiche. / xix, 254 + leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis. 1975. M.C.P.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Harry Minor. / M.C.P.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Sc.-U.R.P.)-University of Natal, 2002.

Not available / text

This dissertation acknowledges that despite the global initiatives towards an inclusive information society, there are still some disparities in how communities access and use the information and communication technologies (ICTs) that are available. These disparities, or digital divide, have been interpreted and addressed from different interrelated theoretical view points. The provision of ICTs through public access centres has been widely applauded as one of the strategies to enable especially disadvantaged communities to participate in today‟s information led economy. Botswana has adopted the just noted approach. The country has also developed policies and supportive infrastructure to enable especially the rural communities to be part of the global information society. It is however regrettable that access and usage of ICT‟s is still notably low in rural communities. The concern over this worrisome situation motivated this study to explore the factors that enabled or inhibited access and use of ICTs that were available to the Letlhakeng community through public access centres. This descriptive case study was conducted in four sequential stages: designing, conducting the research, data analysis and development of conclusions. The study was characterized by a continued comparative analysis of data which was collected through interviews; observation and review of related documents from the service providers; the users and non users of the services. The Letlhakeng community had access to ICTs through individually owned stand alone centres and from government supported centres. These centres were used by both residents of Letlhakeng and people from nearby villages. The factors that promoted or inhibited access and use of the available ICTs differed within and between these communities. Despite the observed digital divide, the Letlhakeng community used the ICT public centres to access social services. There is a need to develop strategies to increase access to more technologies in the village and to equip the community / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Thesis explores the ways in which Information and Communication Technology (ICT)use, specifically that of telephones and the Internet, impacts the lives of Eritrean refugees in Rome, Italy. Informal interviews, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation were carried out in a 'center of second reception.' Results show that information obtained through the use of ICT acts on the imaginations of refugees, encouraging or discouraging movement to alternative locations. ICT use can help maintain a sense of emotional "closeness" to family members abroad for some, but not for others. Limitations in access to ICT exist for the refugees and their families in Eritrea that crosscut multiple socio-demographic categories. Finally, surveillance, enacted through ICT use, negotiates power between the Eritrean state and its subjects in the diaspora. / Graduation date: 2012

There is a great difference that exists between people who have access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and those who do not. As a developing nation, South Africa is badly affected by the so-called Digital Divide. Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) interventions are rapidly increasing in marginalized and rural communities in striving to bridge this digital divide. This research project is undertaken within the context of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) which is an ICTD intervention at Dwesa rural community. This research investigates how audio-based services can be applied locally for communication and information sharing. This research aims to develop a user-driven telephony framework which will enable users to construct customized audio-based services. This aims to empower the Dwesa community for skill development and supports the user-driven innovation. The Internet and Telephones are the most popular technologies that are widely used in our daily life for purposes of communication and information access. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) integrates these two separate technologies (Internet and Telephones) to produce real-time multimedia communication services such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. In addition, the ability of VoIP presenting information through voice plays a crucial role, more especially to those who do not have web visual access or those who are computer illiterate.