A digital divide exists between the upper to middle classes and the poor. The poor are separated because of affordability issues, difficulties in utilizing applications and a lack of effectiveness in using information to empower themselves.

The cost of a computer is now so low that almost every household in the Untied States can afford to own one. A decent refurbished computer with a used monitor costs under $200.00. In addition, the cost of broadband services has declined to about $24.99 a month. I anticipate hardware expenses and broadband accessing costs will continue to fall in the years ahead. This is good news for lower income people who want technology in their homes. But to break the digital divide more is needed than just possessing hardware and having internet access.

Most websites are written for and by people with university degrees. Even government social service websites, created to assist the poor, are complex and hard to navigate. A usability divide exists that alienates almost 40 % of our population. In order to make the internet more friendly many websites need to follow guidelines written for low literacy users, particularly when they are their target market.

A digital divide also exists between urban and rural Americans. In cities, high speed broadband has been available since the 1990’s. Telecoms have not been willing to invest in high speed broadband infrastructure in many rural areas because profit margins are low or non-existent. Dial up is the modus operandi for people living in the country. As technology improves and prices continue to drop, hopefully Telecoms will begin to focus more resources toward the installation of high speed access in rural areas.

The lack of gaining “empowerment” from technology is the most difficult part of the digital divide to overcome. The poor are not making full use of the benefits technology offers because they lack the skills or initiative. Getting to the best information on the internet is difficult for the poor for many reasons. Among them: the mastering of search engines is rare; pre-programmed applications may not offer the best tools; and benefits from social networking are not accessed. The poor often don’t know where to find empowering applications or how to fully utilize them because they lack education. Fixing the education system is a huge dilemma for our country.

A look to the future: The digital divide will shrink because hardware and usability issues will be addressed by computer companies and Telecoms who will want to benefit from untapped markets among poor and rural users as prices continue to fall. The empowerment divide will be harder to over come, education of the poor is the key to unlocking the potential technology has to offer.