A Conceptual Framework for the Role of Government in Bridging the Digital Divide

Abstract In the current era of technological growth and innovation, the role of information and communication technology (ICT) as a catalyst to enhance economic development and the quality of life in developing countries, has become an increasingly important issue. The term digital divide has been used to refer to the gap between those who have access to and utilize ICT versus those who do not. Based on the literature on the digital divide and calls for broad-spectrum interdisciplinary frameworks to guide research on this topic (Lu, 2001), a conceptual framework is presented in this paper to explain the forces that often increase the digital divide as well as those that can provide the means to bridge it. Using this framework, India is used as an illustrative case to document attempts to utilize ICT to enhance the economic circumstances and quality of life for the rural and poor segments of the Indian population and to argue that government and other public institutions have an important role in bridging the digital divide in developing countries. Further, the direct role of government is distinguished from the indirect role in order to clarify and delineate the various ways in which public institutions can facilitate bridging the digital divide.

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