IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

It was not long ago when the exporters of sports goods in Sialkot discovered a magic tool to expand their businesses. With the help of this tool they could reach new clientele all over the world and that also within minutes. That magic tool was the Internet which had reached Pakistan in the mid 1990s.

The Punjab’s IT Policy 2018, based on five pillars including support to the industry, bridging digital divide, e-governance, citizen-centric services and entrepreneurship, was approved by the provincial cabinet in its last meeting.

The policy is focused on bridging the digital divide across gender, regions and economic classes, achieving affordable access for all and positioning Punjab as the IT research and development and innovation hub of Pakistan.

“RDEC programs have contributed significantly to the process,” Chu said. “We will continue working with other agencies to bridge the digital divide.”

Chu made the remarks during an event in Chiayi County marking the anniversary of an RDEC program promoting Internet usage. This initiative saw 535 laptops delivered to 16 public libraries and elementary schools around Taiwan, including Chiayi, Nantou, Pintung, Yilan and Yunlin counties.

But among its fellow developing nations across the globe, the Measuring the Information Society 2013 report, which is touted as the first ever comprehensive study on global internet usage, ranked Malaysia as having the highest percentage of “digital natives”.

Korea should develop and distribute senior-friendly digital devices and education programs to protect the rights of older adults so that they can access information and bridge the digital divide amid the ongoing digital transformation, the national rights agency said, Monday.

According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), it recommended the minister of science and ICT on Feb. 2 reduce the gap in digital connectivity for older adults and enhance their inclusion in digital-based activities by providing multiple options for them to access information and services necessary for their daily lives.

The survey said that the claimed internet user category is also set to grow by 96 per cent to reach 29.9 million by December 2011 from 15.2 million in December 2010.

Active users are those, who have used the internet at least once in the past one month. Claimed internet users are those, who have used the internet sometime but not necessarily in the past one month.

Rwanda Telecentre Network (RTN) is currently implementing a digital literacy programme targeting women both in rural and urban areas.

This would boost the country's aspirations of transforming from an agricultural-based economy to a knowledge-based one.

"In fact we want people to realise that ICT is not for elites, it's not something made for the rich and the city dwellers, it's something that is targeting that same Rwandan who benefited from gir'inka, Bye Bye Nyakatsi, VUP Umurenge, among others," he emphasised.

He stressed that all Rwandans should benefit from the ICT programmes that the country is running.

In a bid to meet the country's World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) commitments, the Information Society and Development (ISAD) Multi-Stakeholder Forum aims to bring together representatives of government, labour, business and civil society.

The state-run Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion oversees the country's polices aimed at reducing the information access gap between different social groups and strengthening international efforts to bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries.

“In Qatari society, the issue of inappropriate content on the Internet is a huge barrier to wholesale adoption of the technology. Some parents resist children's Internet use and a wide technological divide exists between children and their parents. Although parents can protect their children physically from negative influences, they feel vulnerable when it comes to the Internet. So, although many e-education initiatives are technologically and pedagogically effective, children may not enroll because of parental anxiety. Qatar will offer parents and teachers training and e-security programmes,” the document presented at the World Economic Forum 2008 says.

Dr Peter Tomsu of Cisco Systems explains that the phrase Next Generation Network (NGN) describes an integrated, open network architecture that provides voice, data and multimedia services over the same network. He argues that integrated networking itself is not something specifically new citing Broadband ISDN, then ATM, and Multi Service Networks which all tried to deliver integrated service offerings.

To promote internet usage in the country, RDEC has deployed 535 laptops to 16 public libraries and elementary schools around Taiwan including Chiayi, Nantou, Pintung, Yilan and Yunlin counties.

“It does not mean that people cannot afford computers,” says Sung.

Speaking recently at the ICT SME Summit 2007, Abhisit said human resource development was also a top priority and the party would put more focus on ICT education initiatives.

More than three million disabled Thais should soon be able to access information and government services through the Internet more easily.

A recent government decree stated that all 283 websites run by government ministries and departments must be redesigned by the end of the year to meet universal accessibility standards.

Pervasive computing and communication has become essential to conduct our daily affairs. However, a considerable portion of individuals do not have access to these technologies. This is referred to as “The Digital Divide”. This problem is growing to become quite serious on a global level, especially, in the Arab world. According to 2005 projections, the average Internet usage rate in Africa is only 1.8%. This rate is roughly 8.3% in the Middle East and 14.6% for the whole world. Probably, this digital gap may create a new kind of poverty, “knowledge poverty”.

Martin Creaner, director general of the World Broadband Association, says the digital divide discussion needs to move towards a more involved, longer-term connectivity plan.

Although complex to truly quantify, the importance of broadband connectivity to socioeconomic development is undeniable. The global broadband subscription market alone was worth over $356bn by the end of 2021 and supports a wider ICT industry that typically accounts for between two per cent and seven per cent of a country’s overall GDP. The benefits of broadband, however, spread far beyond those that can be directly monetised.