SICS- Economic, Social, and Cultural Circumstances of Computing Lesson

Economic, Social, and Cultural Circumstances of Computing

The Internet is a global network. However, the innovation and impact of online access varies in different countries and in different socio-economic groups.  

The digital divide is an economic and social inequality according to categories of persons in a given population in their access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT). It includes individuals, families, businesses, and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard to accessing the Internet.

The digital divide is caused by several human and physical factors:    

  1. Infrastructure
  2. Income and educational attainment  
  3. Age group
  4. Ethnicity
  5. Government of the country
  6. Disabilities
  7. Costs

The digital divide does not necessarily refer to no Internet service, but the quality of connection and related services.  

In the United States, a survey found that the majority of the United States lower income cities do not have broadband connection. To bridge the gap, President Barack Obama introduced the Connecting America: National Broadband Plan, a Federal Communications Commission plan to improve Internet access in the United States unveiled in March, 2010. It required that the FCC draft a plan to include a detailed strategy for achieving affordable access to robust broadband by 2020.  The details of the plan are documents on the broadband.gov website, run by the FCC.  

Digital Data definedRemember bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred through a particular cable that is connected to an Internet Service Provider. The higher the bandwidth, the more the channel transmits. This refers to the infrastructure or Internet connection provided through cables or DSL.  

Featured in the plan is a Consumer Broadband Test that reports a user's internet download and upload speeds, latency, and jitter. The government then uses these resources to analyze the nation's broadband quality and to plan future locations that need improvements.

While access to the Internet is important, it is only the starting point, which is where mobile technology comes in. Why? Governmental and non-governmental organizations are using phones in place of physical infrastructure. Unlike the Internet, mobile is not hampered by slow broadband speeds or electricity shortages and can be used by those who cannot read or write. New mobile platforms are simple and portable which require only simple text messaging capability to be used as a tool for a host of activities.  

Even in places that lack electricity, the number of mobile phone networks in many low- and middle-income countries surpasses other infrastructure such as paved roads and electricity. Mobile phones are the first telecommunications technology in history to have more users in the developing rather than developed world. 

Health initiatives, agricultural solutions, banking networks, and education are being conducted over mobile networks every day. What's more, they're mostly using SMS, the most elementary of mobile phone communication technologies but one that's handled by even basic or out-of-date phones.

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