Will Free Enterprise and Federal Dollars Help Close the Digital Divide ?

An article by Navarrow    View Comments

I’m always looking for hopeful signs that the digital divide is closing, I noticed two recent examples that demonstrate progress is being made, and they show how free enterprise and targeted federal investments both play important roles.

First, the explosion of tablet personal computers has Apple, Microsoft, Google and others trying to grow or protect market share — and that translates into more options, greater ease of use, more applications, and better pricing for consumers around the globe.   As this story, Tablet PCs: The coming Revolution, in Smart Data Collective points out, it has reached a point where tablets developed by the government of India are being sold there for only $35, and their hope is to bring that down to $10.   We haven’t hit that price point in the U.S. yet, but the immersion of tablets into the global mainstream bodes well for those who want to increase access to un-served and underserved households.

At the same time, you may have noticed the infusion of federal dollars to provide computers and internet access for thousands of people in Chicago, one of my favorite cities. Check out the story, Chicago gets $16 million to bridge digital divide.   Mayor Daley points out that it is all about opportunity and jobs.  Today, people preparing for the workforce who don’t know how to unleash the power of the PC and the internet will be left behind.   And our families, cities and nation cannot afford that.