RESUME FRAMING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Introduction

     The existence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as one of key drivers of globalization has become the foremost discussion around the world. Internet, for example, is often assumed to bring the “death of distance” in a term thet it eliminated physical and virtual seclusion among countries around the world. At the same time, ICT’s usage is also fastly increasing. Thus, the statistic also suggest an idea that some countries, especially developed ones, have got access to ICT while others do not. This condition then reinforces existing differences and creates a from of inequality which iften labelled as digital divide.

     At the same time, ICT’s usage is also fastly increasing, Internet World Statistic (2011) shows that around two billion people in the world are being online with more than 60% of users concentrated in Europe and America and less than 11% in Africa. Obviously, this separation of classes into information winners and losers should come with influencing factors. From other discussing also we know that Indonesia as one of the biggest users of the internet.

History of Digital Devide

    Historically, the term digital devide rose publicly in the mid-1990s as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) survey (1995), as cited in Servon (2002, p.2), identified the existence of a devide which “separates people with access to information technology from those without it” in America. As the United Nation General Secretary, Koffi Annan (1999), as cited in Fuchs & Horak 

(2008, p. 2), points out digital devide is “a pressing humanitarian issues”, it is understandable that this condition becomes a salient issue at international scope. 

Multifaceted Nature of the Informations Have-Not

    There are several factors to explain why the developing countries are trapped in the “information have-nots”. First factor is the market influence which correlates to high price of computers and internet services in developing countries. Second is unequal investment in infrastructure that suggests inadequate provision of high-end telecommunications facilities, and lastly, discrimination which implies in unbalanced usage of ICT due to ethnic group’s sentiment.

    However, the digital devide is not only linked to issue of physical access. Clearly, people need basic ICT devices but digital device is much more a complex problem than inadequate of computers.

Research Methodology

    The research will incorporate case studies and literature reviews. Case studies are performed to obtain facts related to the topic based on best practice. They will also serve as sources of substantial data and information. Academic literature will mainly focus Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Discussion 

  The Association of Progressive Communications (APC) is an internasional non-goverment organization and a network which 50 members are widespread in five continents around the globe, the majority is based in developing countries. In practical term, APC is form to provider people with ICT infrastructures. On policy basis, it is actively involved in assisting goverment, especially in developing countries, to produce information and communications policies in order to make "accessing and using the internet easier". Related to that, APC vission is "all people have easy and affordable access to a free and open internet to improve their liver and create a more just world".

In order to support its vision and missions, APC  members designeted six strategic priorities for the network until 2012 :

1. Advocate for affordable internet access for all

2. Secure and defend internet rights

3. Use emerging technologies for social change

4. Make technology work to sustain the environment

5. Build the information-commons

6. Improve governance, especially internet governance

Conclusion

    However, access to ICT must give attention to not only the cultural dimension how people may get in touch with technology but also psychological dimension of those individuals to make a meaningful use the technology. Indonesia, in this point, has also experiencing the same condition. In fact, it is categorized as one of developing countries that alleviating its position from the "information have-not" to those in "the information haves" due to the country's progressive ICT development. Thus, to reach this present condition, Indonesia took its own protracted period. Reflecting back related to its political system development. The democratisation period in indonesia had altered the nature of indonesia's information system and also provided society with more opportunities to freely access information sources such as the internet. Internet usage in indonesia started to increase as platforms to access the net were provided more widely. Thus, a lot of efforts have been taken in diminishing the gap even though certain barriers still remain.