AFHCAN

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Crack or Chasm How big is the Digital
Divide? Overcoming the challenges of Tradition,
Politics and Money
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Abstract
In our broadband connected world, we often take
for granted the ability to connect to our online
communities over high-speed Internet links. But
in many communities, unobstructed, affordable,
high-speed Internet Access is an unrealized
dream. In many developing countries, the
challenges to traverse the digital divide has
nothing to do with technology, but everything to
do with culture, politics, money and control.
Join me in this session as I share my experiences
and observations of places I've worked, including
Mongolia, Fiji and the Marshall Islands.
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Ubiquitous Broadband

• US Households 9.1 (9/2001) to 19.9 (10/2003)
• Cable modem 56.4, DSLother 43.6
• Dial up is decreasing in favor of broadband
• Increase of online activities entertainment,
  shopping, information, interacting, etc.
• Multi-megabit speeds common amongst businesses
• Multimedia files continue to grow audio, video,
  animation, etc.

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Mongolia

• Seven major ISPs Micom, MCS, Magicnet, Railcom,
  Mobinet, SkyCC, Erdemnet
• Micom is largest ISP, subsidiary of Mongolia
  Telecom
• Currently has 1500 users out of a population of
  about 1M in Ulaanbaatar.
• Internet backbone access is via satellite
• Railcom has their own fiber
• 50,000 Internet users (est. 2003, CIA Factbook)
• 4.6 Unemployment (1.4M labor force)
• Many Internet cafes

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Mongolia
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Mongolia (Challenges)

• Most hopeful in closing digital divide amongst 3
  countries highlighted
• Well educated population
• Free market economy transition from Soviet
  occupation
• Infrastructure issues, large land area,
  relatively small population base
• Nomadic lifestyle
• Large geographic expanse
• Strong European influence in Ulaanbaatar

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Mongolia - Countryside
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Fiji

• Fintel Telecom Fiji
• 1 ISP
• 55,000 Internet users (est. 2003, CIA Factbook)
• Government regulated
• Southern Cross fiber
• 7.6 Unemployment (137K labor force)

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Fiji
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Fiji (Challenges)

• Only one choice for Internet access
• End users including business want choices
• Political control limits growth of Internet
• Much of the country is rural
• Traditional lifestyle is subsistence based
• Ethnic division business owners Indo-Fijian
• As a whole Fiji has the most potential of the
  Pacific Islands

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Fiji Marketplace
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Marshall Islands

• National Telecom Authority
• 1400 Internet users (est. 2003, CIA Factbook)
• 1 ISP - Government owned
• Internet backbone access is via satellite
• 30.9 Unemployment (28K labor force)

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Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands (Challenges)

• Decades of economic dependence due to US
• Although billions of have come into RMI
  communications infrastructure still poor
• Internet access price prohibitive
• Communications service is undependable
• Large geographic expanse, separated by ocean
• Many communities do not have electricity
• Education system is challenged
• Traditional culture clash with technology
• Family value system
• Subsistence based lifestyle

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Marshall Islands - Traditions
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Conclusions

• In all cases technology is not the barrier
• Market dynamics may prevent achieving critical
  mass
• Government control thwarts growth
• Education as a fundamental value needs to be
  established
• Ways need to be found to integrate the Internet
  into traditional lifestyles and cultures

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Contact
Burt Lum Website www.mindwind.com Blog
bytemarks.blogspot.com Podcast
www.roughtake.com Photoblog www.flickr.com/photos
/Bytemarks Email bytemarks_at_gmail.com