A4 Refereed article in a conference publication
Revitalizing the Quantitative Understanding of the Digital Divide: An Uptake on the Digital Divide Indicators
Authors: Farooq Mubarak
Editors: Kaija Saranto, Maaret Castrén, Tiina Kuusela, Sami Hyrynsalmi, Stina Ojala
Conference name: International Conference on Well-Being in the Information Society
Publication year: 2014
Book title : Safe and Secure Cities
Series title: Communications in Computer and Information Science
Volume: 450
First page : 120
Last page: 130
Number of pages: 11
ISBN: 978-3-319-10210-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10211-5_13
Recent advances in ICT research have uncovered several facts regarding the nature of
the digital divide. Following the renewed dimensions of the term, the need for universally accepted
digital divide indicators has significantly heightened across the academic and policy discourses. Tra-
ditionally, researchers have subscribed to the belief that the digital divide is a mere separation be-
tween “have” and “have nots”; however, as the digital technology continues to experience innovation
in the information age, digital divide is increasingly being understood as a multi-dimensional phe-
nomena. The research to date has mostly focused on the qualitative rather than the quantitative nature
of the digital divide. The few existent accounts of quantitative studies on the digital divide are often
criticized for deploying unreliable data in their analysis. Inaccurate predictions significantly derail
policymakers’ abilities to form appropriate action plans in combating the digital divide. OECD and
ITU have been hitting on front lines with their extensive research in ICT. This paper seeks to emphasize the quantitative understanding of the digital divide by reviewing the relevant literature and acknowledging the top indicators in the field. Apart from OECD and ITU, there is a general lack of re-
search in determining the ICT indicators. Along with reviewing the relevant literature on latest ICT
indicators, this study has documented twenty-nine significant ICT indicators and highlighted the need for future research into quantitative nature of the digital divide.