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Digital Inclusion is Key to Closing the Digital Divide

Susan Corbett, CEO, Axiom Technologies
Monday, November 14, 2016
Susan Corbett, CEO, Axiom Technologies
Headquartered in the U.S., Axiom Technologies is the provider of Broadband services along with IT services, online and offline logistic, hardware, software, security & marketing solutions. The entity is known for possessing the technical knowledge, creativity, and flexibility in finding the best solutions in challenging business environments.

Imagine how different your world would be if you did not have an internet connection. There are over 4.2 billion homes in the world that are not connected. This is a problem that is creating a divide, a digital divide, where those who have a connection are increasingly prosperous and participating in on-line 21st Century activities and those that cannot. As the owner of a telecommunications and internet service provider company committed to connecting last-mile customers in remote communities, I have always believed that through internet connectivity and education you can change the economic status of a region. Bridging the Digital Divide is much more than a fast internet connection, it’s about people’s livelihood and well-being.

According to Wikipedia, ‘Digital divide is an economic and social inequality with regard to access to, use of, or impact of information and communication technologies’. The digital divide is caused by two things, lack of broadband connectivity and digital inclusion. But ‘connecting’ homes is only addressing part of the problem in closing the digital divide. We can build world-class broadband networks, but unless people understand how to use it and integrate into their daily lives, what is the value of what we have built? Many dedicated organizations and individuals have provided 1000s of citizens and 100s of businesses at no cost or low cost educational classes, enhanced public computer access, low-cost computers and have installed pubic hotspots as important tools for communities’ access.

Digital inclusion is key to closing the digital divide. Digital inclusion is a national priority in the United States, and should be a high priority throughout the world. High-speed internet access is widely recognized as a necessity for full participation in today’s society. Employers, educators, businesses, healthcare providers, and civic institutions expect people to have access to computers and broadband connectivity. However, accessible, reliable, and affordable broadband service continues to be out of reach for millions of Americans and global citizens, many of whom live in low-income households. This gap in adoption of high-speed internet and the lack of skills needed to use broadband-enabled tools in meaningful ways continue to be significant problems that policymakers, researchers, and practitioners need to focus on in the U.S. and around the world.

Digital inclusion includes the following:


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