Digital Divide in America

Today, the internet has proven to be one of the most crucial aspects of economic development. It has made everything to be easy to carry out. It has made the world to become a global village where you can access anything from any corner of the globe so long as you are connected to the global computer. Information can be obtained daily and anytime. One can communicate with anyone from every corner of the world. The use of internet has become an essential commodity to everybody. The Internet can have an impact on our productivity and also raise the standard of living as well as the quality of life. Those who have internet connection always have the information on their fingertips as it allows them to communicate, connect and transact on a global scale.

Although the internet has resulted in economic developments, there has been a disparity in the way the people are getting connected. This disparity is commonly referred to the digital divide. It is the gap between people who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who don’t. The internet inventions are coming out every day and not all the areas in the world have access to this information since it is too it costly. As a result, there is need to try and fill this gap by trying to make those who are not able to access information to do so.

Solution to the Case Study

Information technology is essential for today's way of living. It affects not only the intelligence of individuals but also their productivity. However, not all areas of the world are IT empowered. This had created problems of information description to a point where counties lacking the IT infrastructure are referred to as developing and their counterparts as developed. Today, internet speed and broadband has advanced so much that the digital divide is also among people who have access to the technology. An example is a case study of developed countries where there is a division between high-performance computers and low-performance computers. The digital divide has a widespread impact on those who can't access information as and when made available. The digital divide can be seen among Americans that live in urban areas and the ones who live in rural areas with the greatest contributors to digital divide being the cost of internet connections, the irrelevancy of the internet connection, and computer illiteracy.

There is, therefore, need to close the gap between those who can access the internet and those who cant by improving the low-speed connections as well as reducing the barriers in cost and the affordability of the internet connectivity. The case study also shows that digital divide can be solved if the internet corporations and the organization voluntarily and involuntarily help to close the digital gap around the world. More importantly, the government can also solve the problem of the digital gap by making investments such as the ConnectED program using state and federal funds and reducing the cost. The government can bring the prices down for the high-speed connectivity also by providing incentives to telecommunication companies such as offering tax holidays to companies that upgrade their service provision to the fastest. Cooperation between the government and the corporations is needed to put effort in bringing the internet to all areas remote or otherwise. The benefit of such collaboration include reduced connectivity costs.

Solution to the Digital Divide in America

From the case study, the digital divide in America is still a reality that needs to be dealt with. The digital divide is a big ask, but with proper attitude from the biggest stakeholders, it can be solved. One major way through which the digital gap can be filled involves the government and corporations coming together and putting efforts to bring the internet to all areas of the United States.  Such a shared effort would ensure that the costs of internet coverage especially in the rural and remote area are greatly reduced. The case study has also supported this move by citing that a collaboration of the biggest stakeholders can help close the digital gap in less amount of time.

What the Government Should Do

From the study, the data made by NTIA shows that low-income Americans, as well as those with a low level of education and living in the rural areas, face a considerable amount of connectivity challenges. The government should invest in connecting its people to ensure that every citizen has equal access to information. The ConnectED program, for instance, has enabled internet connectivity in schools across the country. Such programs and projects by the federal government will go a long way in bridging the digital gap. The government can also pass legislation that brings the prices broadband internet connection down by offering incentives to firms in the business of connecting the country and world at large. Additionally, the government should encourage and allow more companies to join in internet connectivity as one way of reducing the cost of connectivity. This can be done by rolling back short-sighted regulations that restrict competition.

What the Telecommunication Companies Should Do

The telecommunication companies are the services providers. As expensive as internet connections are, these companies should view this activity as one of their many corporate social responsibilities. For example, the companies can help bridge the digital gap may be by funding missions such as the OLPC project and the Digital Divide Institute in UNICEF that provides broadband all over the world. These institutions help in bridging the gap the gap around the world. These companies can also be friendly and adhere to government regulations requiring a reduction in internet connectivity costs.

Conclusion

The internet has an imminence impact on our productivity and quality of life. For this reason, therefore, there is need to ensure 100% connectivity to the internet so as not to leave some people and some areas behind. Internet users have vast amounts of information literally at their fingertips, and an internet connection allows individuals to communicate, collaborate and transact on a global scale. Reducing the gap between those who experience these social and economic benefits from internet users and those who don’t include affordability, relevance and computer literacy. It is highly advisable to close the digital gap before the technology evolves so much that it will be impossible for these forgotten people catch up.