Conclusion

There is a clear digital divide between the developed and developing countries. It has been said by many world leaders that bridging this divide is one of the essential steps towards abolition of world poverty, and would be the precursor of great economic age. There is clearly some truth in this proposition but it should be treated with caution. For example, remember that half of the world’s population has never made a telephone call. 70% of the world’s poor live in remote, rural areas with almost no telecoms links to the outside world. There have been some innovative and political solutions to the problems causing, and caused by, the divide, but we are at the start of a very long process which is as much as socio-economics and political one as a technical one.