SIGNIFICANT DIGITAL DIVIDE NARROWING SLOWLY, ACCORDING TO UNCTAD REPORT

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 24 February (UNCTAD) -- The digital divide between nations is significant -- at around twice the average levels of income inequality.  There are signs, however, that it is gradually narrowing, according to a new UNCTAD report on The Digital Divide:  ICT Development Indices 2004.

The report benchmarks information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion for 165 countries using indices of connectivity and access to ICTs and monitors trends in ICT development to analyse how the divide is evolving.  The indices show considerable inequality between countries in terms of ICT infrastructure, which is a key limiting factor to ICT access.  One key finding is that important gains have been made in access to mobile telephones and Internet usage, measured by the degree of equality of the distribution of mobile phones and Internet users across countries.  This suggests that the digital divide may be narrowing slowly, with more widespread access to mobile phones and Internet usage among developing countries.

However, trends in the digital divide differ sharply according to the type of technology, the report says.  Gains in mobile connectivity and Internet usage (measured by more widespread distribution of Internet users) among developing countries are not being matched by gains in other technologies, such as Internet hosts and personal computers (PCs).  Strengthening public and shared access to ICTs could be a key policy tool for overcoming the digital divide.

Based on its benchmarking, the report finds that OECD countries continue to maintain their lead in ICT development, while transition economies have made major gains in ICT diffusion.  Arab and Latin American countries remain broadly stable, while South Asian and African countries tend to occupy the lower half of the rankings.  Despite considerable advances in mobile telephony, Africa still has a long way to go if it is to keep pace with other regions in terms of ICT diffusion.

UNCTAD’s measurements of technological inequality are intended to help in formulating policies aimed at narrowing the digital divide.  African and South Asian countries need “catching up” policies; Latin America and the transition economies need “keeping up” policies.  The report also provides an overview of different policies to promote ICT access and usage.  It examines grass-roots projects, such as Uganda’s universal access funds and Egypt’s community access points, to identify key policy lessons emerging from the experience of developing countries.

Other UNCTAD work on the measurement of Internet and ICT usage is to be found in its annual report on e-commerce and development, published every November (www.unctad.org/ecdr2004).

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