1. RETHINKING DIGITAL INCLUSION
Accessible Americas V: Information and Communication Technologies for All.
Montego Bay, Jamaica, November 28 – 30, 2018
RETHINKING DIGITAL INCLUSION
Professor Anthony Clayton, CD
Chairman, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica

2. What is the problem?
There are differences in levels of internet access/usage between regions, countries, and within countries. Factors include rural/urban, age, income etc.
These factors cluster, so problems tend to be concentrated, e.g. elderly people, with limited education, in poor areas in developing economies.
Governments have to make policy choices – always about allocating scarce resources.
So key questions: how big a problem is this? Is it getting bigger or smaller? Do we need to do anything about this, or will it disappear?
Three issues:
Availability
Affordability
Literacy

3. Availability In 2016, 45.9% of world population had internet access.
By June 2018 it was 55.1%.
This problem is diminishing due to falling costs & rapid dissemination of technology.
Some remaining problems may be result of policy; e.g. closed markets.
Jamaica: 49 cable operators (many of them not profitable, limited service, not in compliance) and 243 zones (for historical reasons). Now preventing better service.
Need rationalization – fewer, stronger operators.
Solution: move to three-tier fee system, reduce districts to 10% of present.

4. Affordability
Cost: rapidly diminishing; Moore’s Law still works; cost of a unit of processing power halves every months.
Poverty:
1999: 1.7 billion poor people (28% of population).
2013: 767 million poor people (11% of population).
2018: 600 million poor people.
Poverty too is rapidly disappearing.

5. Literacy
Still major impediment.
Technology = physical equipment, embedded in a context of knowledge, how to use, maintain, capitalize on etc.
Jamaica has >100% mobile saturation. Virtually all young people in Jamaica are fluent cell-phone users. Main uses: chatting, social media, entertainment.
Relatively few use internet to full potential for education, work etc.
“The gaps that define the learning digital divide are as important as the gaps in access to the technology itself.”
(OECD ‘Bridging the Digital Divide’)

6. Low Digital Literacy is the major barrier to Digital Inclusion
Approaches to bridging digital divide have focused on hardware, e.g. extending provision of broadband. Jamaica looking at STBs to reach the 45% who still use analogue TVs.
BUT lack of Digital Literacy is effective impediment to transition to digital economy.
Citizens need to know how to maximise use of internet resources.
Governments need to know how to provide reliable services via user-friendly sites.
Private sector: transition to B2C ecommerce handicapped by lack of security, fraud, card-skimmers. Citizens unlikely to migrate unless environment safe.
BCJ Response
- Media Literacy and Digital Awareness Programs. E.g. won two International Muse Creative Awards for digital literacy advertisements.
Professor Anthony Clayton 2018

7. Thank you !