World Bank report questions size of "digital divide" [econ]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

I've never completely understood the term "digital divide." Perhaps it's 
mere parochialism: I live in Washington, DC and have access to DSL and 
cable modem connections and can purchase a T1 line.

But I don't think so -- the real problem is the term "digital divide" 
itself. Any such "divide" is necessarily a subset of an economic divide. 
I have access to technological resources because the U.S. and its peer 
nations have stable governments, functioning court systems, 
not-entirely-insane tax rates, functioning bank systems, and pay some 
attention to property rights. That encourages investment, both domestic 
and foreign, and fosters an environment that lets a middle class grow 
and communications providers prosper.

What I just described is not the situation in many parts of the world, 
especially Africa and perhaps portions of Latin America, that are the 
most vocal in demanding "Digital Solidarity Funds" paid for by tax 
dollars in countries that have made more sane economic choices. (This is 
not an accident of geography. In the early 1900s, Argentina was an 
economic powerhouse. Now its citizens are understandably leery of bank 
accounts and credit cards, thanks to past government thievery.)

A recent UPI column describes the problems confronting Latin America 
today, thanks in large part to politicans' poor economic choices:
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050211-033722-6932r.htm

In other words, it's a bit silly to talk about the "digital divide" 
without also addressing the underlying problems of broken court systems, 
military rule, confiscatory government policies, and so on that these 
nations have yet to address. Solving those problems would go a long way 
to solving any "digital divide" that still remains.

But it's always easier to beg for a handout.

-Declan

---

The summary:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=7731166
GENEVA (Reuters) - The "digital divide" between rich and poor nations is 
narrowing fast, the World Bank said on Thursday, calling into question a 
costly United Nations campaign to bring hi-tech telecommunications to 
the developing world...
Poorer countries, particularly from Africa, are expected to repeat calls 
in Geneva Friday for a "Digital Solidarity Fund" to help finance the 
infrastructure they say is needed to close the perceived technology gap...

The World Bank report itself:
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ict/resources.nsf/InfoResources/04C3CE1B933921A585256FB60051B8F5
All of this evidence suggests that, at least in terms of access to basic 
infrastructure, the  digital divide is rapidly closing. Many fewer 
people around the world have no access at all to ICTs, and people in the 
developing world are getting more access at an incredible  rate—far 
faster than they got access to new technologies in the past, and far 
faster than developing countries are adding telephone lines today.
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