commbox Digital Access, Inequalities & Inclusion

Digital Access, Inequalities & Inclusion

Filter

287

Sort by:

Direction:

Download (73)

Connecting every school in Indonesia to the Internet: Policy landscape assessment

Arif Wismadi

Geneva: ITU (2023), ix, 30 pp.

"Indonesia is in the lowest category on the Global Connectivity Index 2020 in terms of ICT investment, ICT maturity and digital economic performance. It should close the Internet connectivity gap in every educational facility so as to ensure educational opportunities, a productive knowledge-based ec ... onomy and, ultimately, graduation to a higher category. Internet service affordability is another factor contributing to the urban–rural digital divide, which has widened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite national spending by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, 40 per cent of students and teachers remain unconnected for reasons related to affordability. Although Indonesia has reached target prices for mobile Internet service of 1.17 (pre-paid) and 1.40 per cent (post-paid), the requirement to study and teach from home has led to a surge in demand at the same time as it has highlighted the high cost of Internet use in education. The way in which the Internet has been used to study during the pandemic makes it unaffordable for teachers and students [...] Despite the best efforts of the digital/telecommunication and education sectors, the residual gaps are indicative of a critical policy issue, as revealed by further analyses. Without proper policy intervention, the education sector will continue to suffer the severe impact of connectivity affordability and accessibility gaps. The following policy interventions are recommended to address these gaps: • Option 1: Issue a new presidential decree expanding BAKTI’s programme for school connectivity beyond the current 3T areas; Option 2: Expand the current Internet access programme beyond the 3T areas to connect schools that are most in need, targeting schools in underserved areas. Option 3: To enhance affordability, have BAKTI focus on coverage programmes (e.g. subsidized base transceiver stations), not only in 3T areas, but also where students and teachers live, and the schools become the universal connectivity target. Option 4: If BAKTI has implemented all supply-side interventions, but affordability remains an issue, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology could consider providing demand-side subsidies for underprivileged groups of students and teachers." (Executive summary, pages 27-28) more

Download (76)

Assessing Internet Development in Paraguay: Using UNESCO's Internet Universality ROAM-X Indicators. Major Findings and Recommendations

Paris: UNESCO (2023), 22 pp.

Download (83)

Londa Digital Rights and Inclusion in Africa Report 2022

Lagos: Paradigm Initiative (2023), 291 pp.

External Link (198)

Colombia: Technology, Public Sphere and Journalism

Gabriel Ernesto Levy Bravo, María Cecilia Hernández Ocampo, María Paula Ángel Benavides

London: Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC); Observacom; University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) (2023), 16 pp.

"Although the figures for access and use of ICT have gradually improved in Colombia, the situation is far from optimal. The same goes for connectivity. The most concerning aspect overall is the difference between urban centers and rural areas. The gap is significant and seems to be far from closing, ... despite the efforts made by the government and other actors to narrow this gap. Geographic, social, and economic barriers continue to be difficult to tackle. In 2021, the percentage of households nationwide that owned some type of television was 89.5%. As for the infrastructure to receive television services, the figures varied depending on the area. For example, cable television was the most used in municipal capitals, while free-to-air television was most used in rural areas. The same year, the percentage of households that owned a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet was 37.9%, and the percentage of people who had a cell phone of any type was 76.3%. As for connectivity, 60.5% of the total national households had fixed internet connection, with a higher proportion in large cities. In rural areas, mobile connection, which 75% of the total population have access to, is more popular. As for fixed Internet operators, the market is dominated by Claro, followed by Tigo and Movistar. Regarding mobile internet suppliers, the market is also dominated by Claro, followed by Movistar and Tigo. Among internet users, the device most used to get online access is the cellphone with 93.9%. WhatsApp is the most popular social media platform with 94% of internet users, followed very closely by Facebook with 91.7% and Instagram with 84.4%, all belonging to the Meta conglomerate. Google leads in the search engine market with more than 97% of all users who performed searches on the internet. Thus, although the internet seems to be a diverse market, the truth is that it is not so. On the other hand, although the country is more connected than ever before and citizens have more options to consume information, the media do not have it easy. Apart from tensions over advertising revenue, which have been exacerbated by the growing power of conglomerates like Meta and Google, they face more competition and, in many ways, more obstacles than before. Successfully overcoming those challenges is key and depends on their ability to stay afloat economically and to earn or regain the public's trust, especially in times when disinformation and fake news are everyday realities." (Conclusions, page 16) more

Download (91)

Impacts of Information and Communication Technologies on the SDGs: The Case of Mayu Telecomunicaciones in Rural Areas of Peru

Ignacio Prieto-Egido, Teresa Sanchez-Chaparro, Julia Urquijo-Reguera

Information Technology for Development, volume 29, issue 1 (2023), pp. 103-127

"Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are considered a cross-cutting tool that contributes to meeting the global challenges set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, in many countries, there is still a significant connectivity gap between cities and rural areas. Using ... more

Download (62)

Latin America in a Glimpse: Amazonía. Acesso a internet y pueblos indígenas en la Amazonía colombiana

Daniel Ospina Celis

Derechos Digitales; Dejusticia (2023), 21 pp.

External Link (200)

Making a place for technology in communities: PlaceCal and the capabilities approach

Stefan White, Kim Foale

Information, Communication & Society, volume 26, issue 6 (2023), pp. 1067-1086

"We discuss how a capability approach to information technology in neighbourhoods with low social capital can create embedded and sustainable Community Technology Partnerships (CTPs) that connect residents and institutions together, reducing barriers to social participation and collaborative action. ... more

External Link (209)

Understanding the Gender Digital Divide in Nigeria: Learning Brief

USAID; Banyan Global (2023), 7 pp.

Download (66)

Latin America in a Glimpse: Amazonía. Beneficios y efectos del uso de internet para comunidades indígenas de la provincia de Pastaza en Ecuador

Dagmar Thiel, Luis Fernando Canelos, Felix Tangualinga, Jairo Nenquihui Irumenga, Jonathan Sharupi

Fundamedios; Derechos Digitales (2023), 26 pp.

Download (56)

Towards building inclusive digital communities: ITU toolkit and self-assessment for ICT accessibility implementation

Geneva: ITU (2023), viii, 101 pp.

"This newly revised edition of the ITU toolkit and self-assessment for ICT accessibility implementation, "Towards Building Inclusive Digital Communities", incorporates updates aimed to support the efforts of ITU members and all stakeholders in understanding and implementing ICT accessibility at nati ... more

Download (84)

Latin America in a Glimpse: Amazônia. Acesso à internet por comunidades amazônicas no Brasil

Hemanuel Jhosé Alves Veras

Derechos Digitales; Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor (IDEC) (2023), 26 pp.

Download (71)

Why Addressing Digital Inequality Should be a Priority

Ahmed Imran

Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC), volume 89, issue 3, e12255 (2023), 12 pp.

"This article addresses the multifaceted and far-reaching implications of digital inequality (DI), drawing upon emerging trends and examples. The aim is to sensitize policymakers, practitioners, and academics to issues surrounding DI and foster a common and deeper understanding among relevant stakeh ... more

Download (58)

Monitoring Digital Education Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Alejandro Vera, Axel Rivas

Buenos Aires: UNESCO IIEP Office for Latin America (2023), 8 pp.

"This article offers a brief introduction to digital education policy monitoring. The information is organized into four major interrelated analytical axes: digital inclusion policies; digital policies to enhance the quality of learning; policies focused on students learning digital skills; and poli ... more

External Link (191)

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023
Deep Insights

Nadia Jeffrie et al.

London: GSMA; Ipsos (2023), 70 pp.

"1. More women in low- and middle-income countries are using mobile internet than ever before, but their rate of adoption has slowed for the second year in a row. While 61% of women across these countries now use mobile internet, only 60 million women started using mobile internet in 2022 compared t ... o 75 million in 2021. Men’s rate of adoption also slowed in 2022, highlighting that progress on digital inclusion for all has stalled across low- and middle-income countries. 2. The gender gap in mobile internet remains relatively unchanged – women in low- and middle-income countries are 19% less likely than men to use it, which translates into around 310 million fewer women than men. This year there have been no significant changes in the mobile internet gender gap in any region, including South Asia where there have been notable changes in the past few years. 3. To close the mobile internet gender gap by 2030 across low- and middle-income countries, an estimated 810 million women need to adopt it. This is equivalent to 100 million women a year, on average. However, if the gender gap remains unchanged, forecasts suggest that only 360 million more women will adopt mobile internet by 2030. 4. There are 900 million women in low- and middle-income countries who are still not using mobile internet, almost two-thirds of whom live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Women in these regions remain the least likely to use mobile internet compared to men, with gender gaps of 41% and 36%, respectively. 5. Women were more likely than men to report they had reduced their use of mobile internet in 2022, especially those who live in rural areas and are less educated. Across all survey countries, women also tend to use their mobile phones for a narrower range of activities and use mobile internet less regularly than men. 6. The gender gap in smartphone ownership has stalled for the second year in a row, and women in low- and middle-income countries are 17% less likely than men to own a smartphone. This translates into around 250 million fewer women than men. While more men and women own a smartphone than ever before, the rate of adoption for both has slowed down slightly. 55% of women now own a smartphone compared to 67% of men. However, once women own a smartphone, their awareness and use of mobile internet is almost on par with men." (Key findings) more

Download (70)

The gender digital gap: Shifting the theoretical focus to systems analysis and feedback loops

Raluca David, Toby Philipps

Information, Communication & Society, volume 26, issue 10 (2023), pp. 2071-2087

"The past decades have seen efforts to increase digital inclusion for women worldwide, with the ultimate aim to advance gender equality. However, progress is slow, despite important advances in moving beyond a focus on ‘digital access’ (as measured by network coverage and hardware) towards a mor ... more

Download (62)

Measuring Digital Development. Facts and Figures: Focus on Least Developed Countries

Geneva: ITU (2023), v, 21 pp.

"[...] This publication provides an overview of the state of digital connectivity in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), drawing on the data from ITU’s flagship publication Facts and Figures 2022. Since the Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in 2011, progress has been made ... more

Download (55)

A Global Digital Compact: An Open, Free and Secure Digital Future for All

United Nations (2023), 31 pp.

Download (77)

Assessing Internet Development in Germany: Using UNESCO's Internet Universality ROAM-X Indicators

Paris; Hamburg: UNESCO; Leibniz Institute for Media Research, Hans-Bredow-Institut (2023), 258 pp.

Download (86)

Hello Indigenous: A Blueprint on the Preservation of Endangered Indigenous Languages Through Digital Inclusion;Hello indígenas: Um modelo de projeto de inclusão digital para preservação de línguas indígenas ameaçadas

Jaguariúna: Motorola Mobility (2023), 33 pp.

"This document is a detailed report of best practices for the digital inclusion of speakers of endangered Indigenous languages. The proclamation of the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032), as per Resolution A/RES/74/135 from United Nation ... more

Download (68)

Égalité de genre dans la politique numérique au Burundi

Mario Filadoro (red.)

Geneva: ITU (2023), v, 32 pp.

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023 Deep Insights

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023
Deep Insights