How does the DOI measure the digital divide?
The digital divide is a concept that can be applied in different ways. The digital divide has been defined as disparities in access to and use of information and communications technology (ICT) between countries (the “international digital divide”) and between groups within countries (the “domestic digital divide”) (Bridges.orgs authoritative survey of the digital divide, Spanning the Digital Divide: Understanding and Tackling the Issues (2001). The DOI can be used to evaluate differences in digital opportunity for both of these – between countries to make an assessment of the international digital divide, or within countries, between provinces or states, by gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic grouping to make an assessment of disparities in access, according to background. Examples include differences in availability of infrastructure or advanced technologies by area or region, or urban/rural differences in income and hence in the affordability of ICTs (as a proportion of income). Hig
