Tackling the Divide on the Ground

There is a big digital divide between the richest countries whose citizens can afford new technology and have access to the internet, and the poorest countries where access to such things is scarce. There are a number of ways of attempting to bridge the gap, such as digital broadcasts. Digital broadcasts are cheap, wireless method of access to the news to people in the rural areas of the digital divide.

These are good because they can be watched on cheap equipment. The downside to this is that western television (which is often shown through this) is something which is not.

Another problem with tackling the digital divide are the governments of these countries. What will often happen is the government will become the sole provider of telecommunications and internet services, then charge monopoly level prices to make additional profit for the government, and introduce legislation to prevent competition. This can be good for the government as it creates profit, but is a serious issue as it widens the digital divide even firther.