New hope for a decrease in the "Digital Divide" and "Participation Gap"

After reading Kevin Guidry's descriptions I can undoubtedly say that there is a digital divide. When I was reading the article on “Mobile Phone Problems” I was most shocked by the discrepancy and findings that researches had recorded stating that Hispanics and African American’s were among those whose primary Internet browser’s were their phones. They allotted these findings to the fact there the Hispanics and African American’s came from lower income families and therefore didn’t have the means to buy a computer or laptop. Their main way of getting information from the Internet was via their phone. After reading Kevin’s descriptions I definitely believe in the digital divide and participation gap. If people do not have the means, or cannot afford to get internet access or have the chance to train themselves in the same ways that everyone else can the gap and divide will only continue to grow.The digital divide will continue to grow because of the limited nature of Internet access. At the University of Maryland for example, Internet access on campus, in the library’s and in the various computer labs located around campus, are only accessible by University of Maryland students. Not everyone can gain access to the  Internet. You either need a password, or Wifi that someone is paying for. I do believe that Internet access should be granted to everyone and that pays for it, but that costs should sometimes be altered or considered on a case-by-case situation. Everyone deserves access to the Internet in some form or another. The participation gap is something that will also continue to grow if changes are not made. While people need to spend more time on the Internet to become more versed in the various techniques there are other ways of doing it. For example in New York City, and the NYC Public Library, computers are accessible to anyone who knows how to turn on a computer, as I am sure the situation is at other public libraries. People need to be in charge of their own destiny, and help themselves first.

As we have seen in the last 2 years, tablets and iPad’s, is a devise that gives people access to the Internet at a more reasonable price. With the growth of tablets and the like I believe that there may be hope for the digital divide and participation gap to shrink. Because the Internet plays such a prominent and dominant role in our daily lives it is becoming less of a novelty and more of a necessity. Instead of having to pay $1,000 for a Macbook Pro or $900 for a Dell laptop, people can now buy tablets made by Samsung, Sony, and Apple for about $200-$500. As more and more products come to the market, each one is going to contain to and improved technology and perks. Because the gadgets and technology industry is always growing there will always be new products and new opportunities for people to gain access to the Internet. Instead of having to buy your child a new laptop when they go to college, on top of the tuition money you are already spending, now you have the option to buy them an iPad or tablet that will give them a very similar experience at half the cost.

Japan's Climb to the Top Cut Short

For the past 21 years, or at least since I've been alive, the United States has been at the forefront of cutting edge technology for mobile devices and the life. The notion that a cellphone or smart phone is much more than a telephone is common place and the bar has been raised. According to a U.S. data survey consumers use their phones for seven things: 1. calls, 2. texting, 3. mobile, 4. applications, 5. games, 6. social networking and 7. music. With the release of the iPhone 5 and iPad2 it's no wonder that people in the United States expect so much so fast. "Industry estimates indicate that by 2013 the U.S. will top 100% per capita penetration of mobile phone use".

This point brought me to my next thought; "If the U.S. is doing so well in the mobile technology sector, I wonder how it compares to the rest of the world"? According to Gartner, Inc. the worldwide sales of smart phones increased 24% to 172.4 million units in 2009 and is rapidly growing.  Being that mobile phones and mobile technology is a "given" in our day and age, especially in the U.S. it has only grown in other parts of the world. A U.N. report found that the number of mobile phone users has exploded in the last 10 years and that the number of global subscriptions quadrupled from about 1 billion in 2002 to about 4.1 billion at the end of 2009; and more specifically, in Africa 28% of the population now has a mobile phone, compared to just 2% in 2000. They also noted that the reason for such surges in uptake of mobile phones was marked in developing countries where "they are now an invaluable tool among the world's poor".
 
However, there are still other countries that are lagging behind. Let's take Japan for example. In Tokyo, Japan cell phones are ready for Internet and email, they double as credit cards, boarding passes and even body-fat calculators, however, it stops with Japan. While Japan has been said to be "years ahead in any innovation", according to the NY Times, it has been unsuccessful in getting business out of it. In 2009 Mr. Natsuno, who developed a popular wireless Internet service, along with a team of the best minds in the field, set out to figure out how Japanese cellphones could go global. Despite the fact that Japanese phones are designed so that even the most average person can have a super-advanced phone, the problem could not be solved. Mr. Natsuno and his team had come to the sad realization that Japan's lack of global clout was the reason behind their lack of expansion. 

When it comes to global expansion in the realm of mobile technology, Japan may be the innovators and spear-headers, but they still have a lot to learn. When it comes to expansion, among the many things that are important for countries to understand is the costs associated with opening and expanding into global markets. One of the reasons that I think Japan has failed is because of the cultural differences that exist in different countries. Many of the people that live in Japan are accustomed to a specific way of life, communication and technology, that does not necessarily mirror that of ours. When entering new markets manufacturers and developers must consider customizing their programs and software to fit that of the country they are trying to penetrate. While costs may be steeper because of the change in the product, in the long run, they will yield a high and profitable return for those countries that chose to specialize their programs and products. Another aspect to consider is the size of these mobile technology companies. In Japan where there are hundreds of different mobile technology companies it is even more difficult to compete. In the U.S. I feel that there is less competition, which is why it has been easier for many companies to grow and expand.


http://www.strategicgrowthconcepts.com/growth/mobile-technology-facts.html 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1158758/Mobile-phone-use-explodes-60-worlds-population-signs-handset.html