U.N. Internet Grab Overshadows 'Digital Divide' Discussion

November 16, 2005

As reported by TMCnet bloggers Tom Keating and Greg Galitzine today, as well as the Associated Press, the World Summit on the Information Society has agreed that management of the Internet�should remain with the United States (via ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,�a private-public partnership), rather than be turned over to the United Nations. The Summit is meeting this week�in Tunisia.

TMCnet Contributing Editor David Sims also wrote about this today (see "Whew: Internet Escapes U.N. Clutches"), and I hadn't realized until I read his article that one of the original purposes of the Summit was to address the "digital divide," the gap between rich and poor in access to information technology. Apparently, this aspect of the agenda�has taken�a back seat to the much-publicized effort by elements of the U.N. to take control of Internet management.

The AP story quotes the U.S. Department of Commerce: "The rural digital divide is isolating almost 1 billion of the poorest people who are unable to participate in the global information society."

Interestingly, a study released�just last week identifies a significant "digital divide" in Europe, based on age, education, employment status and other factors. Quoting the study, AP said inequities in Europe were caused by "missing infrastructure or access; missing incentives to use information and communications technologies; lack of the computer literacy or skills necessary to take part in the information society."

AB -- 11/16/05