Do you have any personal experience with digital divide (that you would like to share)?

I'm the director of the M.S. program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I see firsthand how important it is for our students to have very strong computer skills. Because of these skills they generally have not trouble getting jobs. Nearly 90 percent of college-educated workers use computers at work in the United States. Clearly, computer skills are important for the job market.

There is an inventor dilemma in the IT industry: whether to produce expensive business computers for the elite or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public. What is your opinion on this dilemma?

Twenty million children in the United States do not have computers at home. We need inexpensive computers for these families, especially low-income families.

Do you think we have made enough effort to bridge the digital divide? Do you think the digital divide would widen or lessen in the future? Why?

My research indicates that the digital divide is increasing over time and not decreasing. This contradicts some recent government reports, but the issue is measurement. If measured as a percentage point gap the digital divide is increasing slightly. If measured as a ratio it is decreasing. In either case, trends indicate that it's not going to disappear soon.

Do you know any organizations that make effort to bridge the digital divide?

Yes, there are non-profits that are trying to bridge the digital divide by providing inexpensive computers. One example is computer4kids. Another program is the Erate program for schools.

Internet access in low-income or marginal areas is a problem partly because the unavailability of broadband and telephone line. Do you think wireless technology can provide a solution to this problem in those areas?

Yes, the advent of wireless technologies may allow some poor rural communities to leapfrog old technologies based on telephone wires. DSL is generally limited to 1.5 miles from a call center.

Language difference also contribute to DD – but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such effort can help bridging DD?

Language is an important factor. The state of California has actually created web pages in Spanish to address this issue. Certainly, more can be done in this regard.

What do you think can be the (most effective) solutions for DD?

One idea is to create tax deductions for computers purchased for educational purposes.