How can digital divide could be bridged

It's not binary said Lovett - whether you're connected or not - it's about ensuring people have infrastructure they can rely on and a connection they can access regularly. COVID has exposed digital inequities globally and exacerbated the digital divide. Nearly half of the world is still not online. With more basic services moving online and the pandemic highlighting affordability challenges in wealthier nations, these deep digital gaps are exacerbating inequality and preventing the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.

Its vision is to ensure that every person can affordably participate in the digital economy. There are enormous opportunities if we can close the divide, from education to employment.

There's 'massive economic impact' in uplifting communities, if we can take advantage, summarized Robert F. And as Lovett explained, the returns on investment are significant - we just need the resources.

Digital technology also helped those who suffered the disruption caused by the pandemic, said Tan Hooi Ling. Her technology company Grab was able to offer a lifeline to many who had seen other forms of income disappear, she said. We just need people to understand the potential and to encourage the public and private sector to work together to convince investors. The panelists were united on the need for collaboration between the private and public sectors - and civil society, added Lovett.

The involvement of the private sector is already driving progress in the United States, explained Smith. There are already various initiatives underway to improve connectivity in communities around the country. And it's important that US businesses are encouraged to engage with the public sector. This is true across the world, explained Tan. As a social enterprise, Grab asks itself how can it work together with other companies and with governments to create products and services that are really needed.

It's not a question of how one is better than the other, concluded Steiner. Especially access and positive use of information and communication technology. We need to replace ad hoc ways of doing things if we want to fast narrow the digital cleave. For example, in some developing countries, you will find every fiber company digging up separate tunnels to lay their cables.

In other similar countries, internet companies keep digging up the same tunnel every other time to lay their cables. Constructing single tunnels that can accommodate any other future investments.

Thus reducing the cost of increasing the scope of cyber networks. It is possible to bridge the global digital divide if we promote innovative ways of doing business. A technology used creatively creates a significant difference in a community.

Economically, a citizenry can easily network, learn new business ideas, and transact. A given population can discuss matters affecting them. They can make good political decisions as a country steering them towards success because only a few people are left in the dark. The upcoming generation of students will experience better learning as they can better access and use various learning tools available on the internet.

Furthermore, the gap between the rich and the poor is likely to be narrowed. The poor, especially, will learn better ways of empowering themselves. Developing nations are the ones world hit hardest by digital exclusion. Majority of these nations are investing in digital inclusion programmes. Both the young and the old can take advantage of such initiatives to educate themselves.

Such efforts are yielding fruits, reflected in the growing number of mobile broadband users in developing countries. Coming from a technical background, her literary skills blended with the passion for new technology always brings angles that no other writer dares taking on.

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How can we bridge the digital divide? Various initiatives we need to engage to narrow the digital gap under the various mentioned capacities include: 1. Increase digital literacy We have for such a long time had a narrow view of what digital literacy entails. Provide operational incentives to information and communication technology entities There are various organizations fighting hard to narrow the digital divide.

Develop relevant and local content in addition telecommunications infrastructure As individuals and communities, it is easier to learn and put in place concepts that we relate with. Encourage the establishment of cyber clubs How do you bridge the digital divide by starting a cyber club? Do note that there are no walk-ins at the moment - since we value your safety more than anything else.

You can log on to the student portal to connect with us. The world has always been divided between the haves and the have-nots. In the twenty-first century, with the digital revolution, this gap has also turned digital. The digital divide, very quickly, is the term used to describe the uneven distribution of information and communication technologies in society. It is caused by one of two things: either lack of access or lack of knowledge to use technology.

It also includes a lack of access to reliable network and internet connections. With increasing dependence on tech, the divide keeps widening, preventing some communities from keeping up with the rest of the world. Source: Our World in Data , This is a particularly important conversation to have, as most of our professional and personal lives became online since early Health, education, finance, fashion, you name any sector, it has been reshaped by advancements in Artificial Intelligence.

This makes the digital gap that much more dangerous, directly leading to more hierarchies and stratifications in the world. Typically, digital divides are attributed to developing or least developed nations. This is not entirely true. Yes, they are more vulnerable due to the lack of infrastructure but it is a problem that is widespread. That amounts to almost 21 million people.

Europe appears to be faring well in this regard. It has always been a topic of debate in the US, for instance. A study conducted at Stanford showed that the factors that contributed to the divide were age, income, race, and geography urban vs rural. As these social factors feed into the digital divide, it exacerbates systemic injustices that continue to benefit only the privileged.

If this is the scenario in the First World, we can infer how much direr the situation is in the rest of the world. In a data-driven world, it is important to quantify the digital divide , rather than talk about it in theoretical or ideological terms. Of the top ten nations with the highest NRI, 8 are from Europe. In a list of countries, India is in the 88th position, according to statistics. You can check NRI for the complete list of countries and their rankings. Europe has been able to get ahead of this curve thanks to its Digital Agenda for Europe and the Digital Single Market adopted in by the European Union.

Emphasizing on funding, regulations, and mobilising stakeholders in the IT sector, these policy decisions have been able to bridge the gap quite successfully. Technology has seeped into the very core of our society.

Your access and familiarity with it come from a position of privilege. With a gap that is allowed to stagnate or expand, you are looking at an entire generation of learners losing out on their education, people losing out on access to telehealth, and being erased from being fully contributing members to the national and global economy. It also has a direct impact on employment opportunities and therefore social mobility. Internet, from being a luxury, has now become a necessity.

There are organizations advocating for it as a basic human right. With universal access, opportunities abound, giving everyone equal access to live and function as global citizens. Bridging digital divides is getting one step closer to building an inclusive world. Design is a part of everything that we see around us. Fundamentally, it influences the way we experience the world. From materials required to construct roads to the natural resources that are part of our day-to-day life, mining and minerals.

Facebook has been in the news. Again we're not covering its name change here. This is about deeper issues. In September. Thanks for contacting us! We will reach you shortly and start our journey together. Our platform ecosystem for students is on it's way. Meanwhile, talk to us, and let us help you find you suitable solutions. Fill in the form so we can help and keep you updated! Join the movement, TCGlobalCommunity. Hey it looks like you've already got an account with us.