Internet Access Is Not Uniform

Internet access is not uniform throughout the world and this has led to some social disparities that lead to economic gaps between developed and under-developed countries. Because of wider availability of technologies, men and women in developed countries enjoy greater access to Internet. Asian countries are trying hard to keep pace with technological revolution by making Internet as widely available as possible, yet there are some important issues they need to address before they can become competitive in this field.

Internet is certainly not a luxury anymore since it is redefining everything from business networking to socializing to job hunting and working. But for some countries, Internet is still a luxury that only the rich can afford. This is because these countries are characterized by growing poverty, lack of educational facilities and an increasing dearth of sincere effort for revitalization of technological infrastructure. These countries thus lag behind when it comes to using computers and accessing the Internet. This technological disparity that allows industrialized countries to have greater access to Internet and computers compared to some less-developed nations is termed as digital divide or disparities in Internet access. It is defined as "the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not."(Arrison, 2002) in specific terms, Digital Divide refers to the persistent gap between individuals, societies, countries, and social classes in their ability to access the Internet and other technologies. Income and education are considered the two most important social factors determining the extent to which digital divide affects a certain household or socio-economic group. Some other important variables are racial background, language, age, gender etc. However the difference is not limited to households and social groups only, it affects the entire world and is more pronounced between developing and industrialized country.

The way Internet has been affecting our lives; it is clear that we can no longer function without new and better technologies. From the way we do business, to the way we gain knowledge to the manner in which we communicate have all been influenced by the advent of Internet and related technologies. But unfortunately while the number of Internet users is rapidly increasing, the gap that exists in the number of people using the Internet between various groups within the country and between different countries is growing steadily. Fabian (2001) writes: "Expansion of the digital divide has been exacerbated by the rapid development of technology. The adoption of the Internet as a mass media -- defined as time required to reach an audience of 50 million-was the fastest in history. Whereas the radio did not reach mass media status for 38 years, and television required 13 years, the Internet soared from obscurity to 50 million users in just four years. By 1998 there were an estimated 143 million Internet users, with numbers expected to exceed 700 million by this year. Some 88% of all users in 1998 lived in industrial countries, home to less than 15% of the world's people. The U.S. has more computers than the rest of the world combined, and over 100 million Internet users."

But developing countries are not exactly conveniently blind to the advantages of the Internet. Some less-developed nations are trying hard to keep pace with technological advancement and have been seeking ways to provide greater Internet access to their people. India is one such country that may not be able to compete with U.S. And Europe both economically and technologically but is making serious effort to create greater Internet awareness. The country is highly favorable to the growth of Internet because of strong commitment to technological advancement by businesses and government.

In India, only the more educated urban class enjoys unlimited access to the Internet. We feel that the main reason why more people haven't yet been connected is because of the availability of telephone lines and poor electricity system. "Inadequate Internet and telephone connectivity to India's rural areas, where more than 70% of India's population lives, is a key challenge for a number of government agencies, NGOs (nongovernment organizations), and multilateral aid agencies."(John Ribeiro, 2002)