Topic
Discuss the technological inequality brought about by globalization, focusing on disparities in access to technology and the internet between developed and developing countries. Analyze how these inequalities impact the Philippines, including issues related to digital access, technological infrastructure, and educational opportunities. Examine how international efforts and policies address these disparities and their effects on the country.
To Search for
- Discuss the current state of the issue, using data and recent developments to highlight its global impact.
- Identify key global actors and their roles in shaping the issue.
- Analyze how the issue impacts or is impacted by globalization, particularly in relation to the Philippines.
Global Digital Divide
3.2 Impact of State of Broadband recommendations
2.6 billion people lack internet access
Bridging digital divide in remote areas remains challenging — DICT
Internet use increases globally and in every region – 5.4 billion people, equivalent to 67 per cent of the world’s population, use the Internet. In Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Americas, about 90 per cent of the population uses the Internet. Approximately two-thirds of the population in the Arab States and in Asia and the Pacific uses the Internet, in line with the global average. However, just 37 per cent of the population uses the Internet in Africa today.
The gender digital divide persists – Globally, 70 per cent of men are using the Internet, compared with 65 per cent of women—both slight increases from 2022 figures—but women account for a disproportionate share of the global offline population, outnumbering male non-users by 17 per cent.
Internet usage among young people grows – In all regions, young people are more connected than the rest of the population. Worldwide, 79 per cent of people aged between 15 and 24 use the Internet in 2023, 14 percentage points more than the rest of the population.
The urban-rural divide remains – Worldwide this year, 81 per cent of urban dwellers are using the Internet, which is 1.6 times as high as the percentage of Internet users in rural areas.
Mobile phone ownership is higher than Internet use – Globally, 78 per cent of people aged 10 and over own a mobile phone in 2023. On average, in every region and every income group, the percentage of individuals owning a mobile phone is greater than the percentage of Internet users.
Subscriptions continue expanding globally – Fixed-broadband subscriptions have grown at an average annual rate of 6.7 per cent in the past decade. Income disparities for active mobile-broadband subscriptions are wide, with 148 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in high-income countries compared to just 33 per 100 inhabitants in low-income countries.
Broadband affordability continues to improve – In 2023, both data-only mobile broadband and fixed broadband have become more affordable in all regions and for all income groups. However, cost continues to be a major barrier to connectivity and a key factor driver in the global digital divide. In low-income economies, the median price of an entry-level mobile-broadband subscription amounts to 8.6 per cent of average income, a share 22 times larger than in high-income countries (0.4 per cent).
Source: ITU Report
State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2019
In Emerging Economies
Source: Pew Research
A Pew Research Center survey in 11 emerging economies finds that a median of 6% of adults do not use phones at all, and a median of 7% do not own phones but instead borrow them from others. The mobile divides are most pronounced in Venezuela (32%), India (30%) and the Philippines (27%), countries where about three-in-ten adults do not own a mobile phone.
[Owning a smartphone] is not my priority. My priority is basic needs. Woman, 37, Philippines
Across the 11 countries, a median of 6% say they neither own their own mobile phone nor regularly use someone else’s device. Nonuse varies across these countries – ranging from a low of just 2% in Vietnam to a high of 20% in the Philippines.
Nonuse tends to be more common among adults with lower levels of income and education In the Philippines, for instance, 10% of people with more education say they do not use a phone, compared with 38% of those with lower levels of education. This pattern exists in all 11 countries surveyed. Similarly, across most nations surveyed, older people are more likely than younger to be non-users.
International Organizations
A4AI
The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) aims to reduce the cost of broadband internet in specific areas in the world 1
UN
In recent years, programs have been launched that aim to combat particular aspects of the digital divide. Many of these are being coordinated at the highest level, including within the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, which allows individual countries to coordinate their activities toward ending digital discrimination Investopedia
United Nations Volunteers
In the year 2000, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program launched its Online Volunteering service,1 which uses ICT as a vehicle for and in support of volunteering. It constitutes an example of a volunteering initiative that effectively contributes to bridge the digital divide. ICT-enabled volunteering has a clear added value for development. If more people collaborate online with more development institutions and initiatives, this will imply an increase in person-hours dedicated to development cooperation at essentially no additional cost. This is the most visible effect of online volunteering for human development. 110
United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (ICT)
The Task Force’s principal aim was to provide policy advice to governments and international organizations for bridging the digital divide. In addition to supporting the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and leading the UN in developing ICT strategies for development, the Task Force’s objective was to form partnerships between the UN system and states, private industry, trusts, foundations, and donors, and other stakeholders.
The Task Force was active, inter alia, in the process leading to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva in December 2003 and WSIS II in Tunis, Tunisia, in November 2005. In order to participate in the second phase of the WSIS, the Task Force’s original three-year mandate was extended by another year and expired on 31 December 2005, with no further extension.
Outcomes of WSIS
- GESCI
- “One of the notable outcomes of the work of the UN ICT Task Force was the creation in 2003 of the Global E-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI), an international NGO initially located in Dublin, Ireland, to improve education in schools and communities through the use of information and communication technologies.3 GESCI was officially launched during the WSIS.”
- “Today GESCI is located in Nairobi, Kenya. It has evolved into an organization engaging with governments and ministries, development partners, the private sector and communities to provide strategic advice, coordinate policy dialogue, conduct research and develop and implement models of good practice for the widespread use and integration of ICTs in formal education and other learning environments, within the context of supporting the development of inclusive knowledge societies and the achievement of the SDGs.”
- ePol-Net
- “Another outcome is the Global ePolicy Resource Network (ePol-NET),4 designed to marshal global efforts in support of national e-strategies for development. The network provides ICT policymakers in developing countries with the depth and quality of information needed to develop effective national e-policies and e-strategies. The network was first proposed by the members of the Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force), who merged their activities with the UN ICT Task Force in 2002. The ePol-Net was also officially launched during the WSIS.”
Conclusion
Summary of Key Points
- The digital divide is characterized by the gap brought about by Globalization, and found between people who have access to technology, like computers, smartphones, and the internet, and those who do not.
- The digital divide is evident in the Philippines, where, compared globally, the country’s technology and internet capabilities are severely lacking.
- Globalization and the digital divide have roots in the major technological advancements of the late 20th century, wherein less wealthier nations could not keep up with those advancements that reshaped business, communication, and access to knowledge.
- Although the gender gap for mobile internet use is narrowing, mobile ownership in 2023 still remain largely the same.
- Most countries with emerging economies do not own phones because of the cost involved.
- 1/3 of the world population is still not connected to the internet in 2023.
- Major barriers of business adoption of AI include the lack of AI skills, data complexity, and ethical concerns.
- Some international organizations, like A4A1 and United Nations, exist to alleviate the digital divide.
- The digital divide exacerbates the disparities in health, work, and education, and negatively affect the global economy.
- With this in mind, and observing the rapidity of advancing technologies, such as digital infrastructure in global commerce, connectivity has become essential for businesses to remain efficient. Therefore, restricting those with limited access to digital infrastructures.
- The digital divide hinders students from keeping up with modern times. For instance, the COVID 19 pandemic highlighted how the lack of access to advancing technologies lead to lack of proper access in education as well.
- healthcare remains a critical effect of the technological divide specifically, lack of access to efficient digital systems that play a role in its sector’s developmental delay.
- At the national scale, the digital resource gap contributes to factors affecting citizens’ ability to source opportunities, source employment, and utilize digital services. Vulnerable to this divide, sectors like outsourcing pose a threat due to underdeveloped infrastructure systems and unreliable internet connection.
- Marxism views the digital divide as a result of capitalism, where rich countries benefit from globalization at the expense of poorer ones.
- Liberalism focuses on cooperation and believes that international efforts, like support from the UN or tech companies, can help reduce inequality.
- Realism is about power and self-interest, suggesting that richer countries are more focused on their own technological advantage, which keeps poorer nations behind.
- Feminism highlights that the digital divide impacts women and marginalized groups even more, as they often have less access to technology.
- The Philippines, with over 7,000 islands and diverse geography, faces challenges in providing equal internet access across the country
- While national policies in the Philippines have promoted digital skills education in schools to help Filipinos compete with more digitally advanced countries, this initiative has also increased the digital divide between rural, less developed areas and urban, modernized areas.
- Globalization has brought foreign investors and multinational companies to the Philippines, improving internet access and quality.
- The main obstacles for the digital divide include limited funding, foreign investors focusing primarily on profitable areas, a lack of infrastructure, and difficulties in reaching remote areas.
- Most projects that aim to address the digital divide mostly benefit urban areas, while deepening the issue in rural and poorer areas.
Policy Recommendations for Philippines
Kenya Digital Health Act 2023
In a constantly globalizing world, the influence of foreign policies shapes national notions for nations like the Philippines, most especially in fields like health and technology. For instance, the Kenya Digital Health Act of 2023 was imposed to promote the safe, efficient, and effective use of technology for healthcare and to enhance patient privacy, confidentiality, and security (Wanyama, 2024). Similar Acts like this, present themselves as a theoretical model for other developing countries that seek the furtherance of economic growth and development through the use of digital technologies. As advancements in digital healthcare allowed a spark of attraction, countries with advancements in policies like Kenya, foster diverse frameworks to address bigger-scaled issues like healthcare innovation. Moreover, international agreements that prioritize digital transformation, act as motivators for urbanizing countries to align their national policies with modern circumstances. This is seen through the significant move of the Philippine Government in the country’s goal for digital transformation executed through the Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project (PDIP), as an investment at sustaining the country’s digital capabilities – for the essence of ensuring national efforts to expand and upgrade our infrastructure, connectivity, and possibilities (GOV.PH, 2024)
Theoretical Perspectives
- Marxist: Reduce dependency on foreign technology by building local industries and strengthening government control over digital resources.
- Liberal: Promote partnerships and protect local interests while encouraging international investment and aid to help bridge the digital divide.