Digital Divide

Digital Divide in Indonesia

HOLD ON, before I continue, I just want to congratulate YOU for being the lucky person (out of ten people in the world) who has the opportunity to access this blog. Furthermore, if YOU are in Indonesia, CONGRATS because you are the lucky person out of 20 people who have the resource to access this blog. (CIA world Factbook)

So? What is Digital Divide?

By definition the term Digital Divide refers to the technology gap between people with

effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. (Digital Divide) That basically means that different country have different chances on having the opportunity to access internet. As I have illustrated in the simple form above, the percentage of people who have the ability to access internet in Indonesia is only about 5%. Which means only one every 20 person can have the privilege to access internet.(CIA world Factbook)

Then? How does it affect us?

The digital divide will create unfair condition for those LEDC ( Less Economically Developed Countries), because they can’t afford to buy or subsidize expensive IT gadgets.

Well… in this tough world, my personal opinion is that the “Poor people are getting poorer and rich getting richer.” The rich (country) can buy the newest technology, therefore increasing their production and GDP (Gross Domestic Product, basically how much a country produce useful products and service). While poor countries who can’t buy high capital technology, they will lose against rich countries in terms of efficiency in producing their products. Therefore, they can’t compete in the Global market and they won’t increase their GDP.

This diagram above is called PPF (Production Possibility Frontier). It is an economic model that shows a country’s GDP in a 2-dimension line graph form. So the diagram above shows that a country’s GDP can increase if they can get access to technology. Below, is an example HOW a country’s PPF can expand when they have access to Technology.

Examples:

If you remember, right before the year 2000, there was a flaw that would cause all computers to crash. This bug was called the millennium bug. How to solve that? Well… they called technicians and programmers from India where the supplies was huge. This explain WHY they don’t call people from Sub-Saharan Africa, but India. It’s because people in India have better access and knowledge about IT at that time. This creates a huge workplace for them and increased the country’s GDP and economic growth. This will cause the line in PPF model to go outwards, basically, the bigger the area of the triangle, the bigger is the country’s GDP.

The help of technology can be seen in a local region too. For example this guy in Uganda wants to know how to effectively manage his banana plantation. He goes to the nearest internet station in his region and search for types of fertilizer, special tricks, etc. It resulted to a better harvest, which ultimately result in better economy for him and his family. that will cause the guy’s ‘family’ PPF to shift outwards.

Digital Divide

(Globally)

Facts about the world’s current condition: Enjoy !

• In 2004, less than 3 out of every 100 Africans use the Internet.
• It is estimated that top 20 countries in terms of Internet bandwidth are home to roughly 80% of all Internet users worldwide.
• There are more than 8 times as many Internet users in the US than on the entire African continent.
• There are more than twice as many Internet users in Germany than on the entire African continent.
• There are still 30 countries with an Internet penetration of less than 1%.

(The digital divide at a glance)

(Nationally)

Only limited amount of people in Indonesia can enjoy a high speed wireless internet connection. While others will have to enjoy dial-up facility with the speed of about 50.6 kbps provided by Telkomnet.

“The digital divide in Indonesia remains abrupt and PC penetration is extremely bad. For example, PC usage in Indonesian elementary schools nowadays is one PC for 1,900 students on average.” (Indonesia Needs to Bridge Digital Divide)

(Locally)

From the research that I conducted, I however found out that in my area or environment, the digital divide does occur but it is not to an extent that it will hinders growth. In School A, in which almost all the students come from a relatively high income family, 100% of them can access internet. But in School B, a relatively middle income school, only 60% of them can access internet. Well, this research shows that there is a gap on the opportunity to access internet, but it is not to an extreme extent where, for example only one out of 100 children can access internet. Although my research shows that digital divide is a bit blurry, that doesn’t mean that Indonesia has no digital divide.

Attempts to Bridge the Digital Divide

Here are the few attempts that government or an organization try to bridge the DD

(Globally)

One Laptop per Child Policy

100$ Laptop

Solar Wi-fi

Building Internet Infrastructures.

Unfortunately those naïve projects just won’t work without huge pour of money from the government. If they do get some money, lot of black markets will only take profit from these kind projects.

A More Reasonable solutions: (these are what I personally think is the best solution)

(Global)

Subsidize IT gadgets (all areas in all countries, to prevent taking profit)

Free softwares (sometimes by means of piracy)

Educate people to use technology

Cheap handphones, because handphone is more affordable than laptops.

Of course, these solutions might have positives and negatives, so for example: a controversial topic is whether or not pirated software should be allowed. Sometimes even a 30$ software is not affordable for people in LEDC, so a free software would of course help them to get technology. However this piracy will discourage people to develop new softwares, which in a long run, would affect the country’s GDP.

(National)

I personally think that Indonesia still have a long way before this gap could be closed. To close the digital divide nationally, an effort from government should be effectively applied in a huge scale. As a country with a huge land area and they are far apart from each other (Indonesia is a country with a lot of islands). It would be much harder to introduce technology to remote islands. Then, Indonesia is the seventh most corrupt country in the world (Indonesia the third most corrupt nation in ASEAN), it will make Government’s money harder to reach the one that needs it. First, the corruption in the country’s itself should be eliminated, then projects for bridging the digital divide can be achieved.

In Indonesia however, handphone can be bought at a price as low as 15$, of course these handphone is a low quality one, but it will drastically help bridging digital divide.

(Local)

From the discussion that I have with my classmates and considering what actions that should be taken in my local region (Bali, Indonesia). Considering that Bali has already have a community called the “Banjar”, we want to take advantage of this established system. Our plan is to get a charity of no more than a dollar from each person in the “Banjar” and get an IT facility in the “Banjar”.

Another idea that came up to mind is the fact that my school have already an established IT facility. we might lend them to kids in the local area in the weekends, where we don’t need them.

Donate old and unused computers to the local people.

DO WHATEVER YOU CAN NOW TO HELP BRIDGING THIS DIGITAL DIVIDE !!! please put your thoughts about this issue by commenting on my blog

Bibliography

“CIA-The World Factbook-Indonesia-”. CIA World Factbook. 17 March 2009 <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/id.html>.

“CIA-The World Factbook-World-”. CIA World Factbook. 17 March 2009 <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html>.

“Digital Divide”. Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia”. 17 March 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide>.

“Indonesia Needs to Bridge Digital Divide”. OHMY news. 18 March 2009 <http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=315083&rel_no=1>.

“Indonesia the third most corrupt nation in ASEAN”. The Jakarta Post. 18 March 2009 <http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/02/indonesia-third-most-corrupt-nation-asean.html>.

“The Digital Divide at a Glance”. World Summit on the Information Society. 17 March 2009 <http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/newsroom/stats/>.