Andy - is it in this section? http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ict/projects.nsf/WSISPublications perhaps within the "Access Divide Report" http://info.worldbank.org/ict/WSIS/docs/comp_AccessDivide.pdf
"Three things are worth noting about the results. First is that a considerable per capita divide in access to ICTs remains, a divide that yawns wider in the case of more recent technologies. Second, the divide is shrinking at an unprecedented pace, especially on the basis of a measure that looks at ICTs per dollar of GDP. Finally, the rate of progress in overcoming the divide is particularly rapid in those countries that have reformed their telecommunications sector, suggesting a clear policy imperative for countries that want to see themselves on the 'right side' of the Access Divide." Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, MSLIS Community Outreach Liaison National Network of Libraries of Medicine - MidContinental Region Creighton University Health Sciences Library 2500 California Plaza Omaha, NE 68178 402-280-4156/800-338-7657 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://nnlm.gov/mcr/ (NN/LM MCR Web Site) http://medstat.med.utah.edu/blogs/BHIC/ (Web Log) http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/siobhanchamp-blackwell (Digital Divide Network Profile) -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Carvin Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 2:22 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: re: [DDN] 'Digital Divide' Narrowing Fast, World Bank Says Does anyone have the URL of this report? I can't find it anywhere on the World Bank website. But from reading the article, they seem to equate bridging the digital divide with the spread of mobile telephony, which strikes me as very misguided. Unless all of those mobiles are offering Internet access, then they're not addressing the issue of ubiquitous Internet access, not to mention universal literacy and local language content needs. Saying that the digital divide is being bridged rapidly makes no sense when many countries still have Internet penetration rates of less than one percent. And it does a huge disservice to policymaking and public understanding of the issue, because it suggests the job is done, let's not worry about it, and takes pressure off all these policymakers here in Geneva who are debating how to finance bridging the digital divide. I mean, if I were a policymaker or a donor and the world bank just told be the digital divide is becoming a non-issue, do you think I might put my resources elsewhere? It's already happened in the US, and the American digital divide isn't as severe as the international digital divide, so the impact international could be devastating... ac ------------------------------------------------- Andy Carvin Program Director EDC Center for Media & Community acarvin @ edc . org http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/ ------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
