Article Information

Authors JIA LAUD
Article Type Research Article
Language English
Journal North Asian International Research Journal of Social Science & Humanities
ISSN 2454-9827
Volume 12
Issue 7
Pages 1-7
Publication Year 2026
Publication Date July 01, 2026
DOI URL https://doiglobal.org/10.2026/NAIRJCSSH.025

Abstract

The "digital divide" is the gap between people who have good internet access and people who don't. For a long time, people thought about this as a simple yes-or-no question: either you have internet, or you don't. But it's way more complicated than that. It includes things like whether the infrastructure even exists, whether people can afford it, whether they know how to use it, and whether they can benefit from it economically. This paper looks at the digital divide between developed and developing countries through four angles: the infrastructure gap, the cost of getting online, who controls the rules of the internet, and what happens to people who get left out. Using data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Bank, and other research, this paper argues that the digital divide isn't just a tech problem. It's a symptom of bigger inequalities and fixing it will take a lot more than laying cables and handing out phones.

Keywords

Digital Divide Internet Access Digital Inequality Developing Countries Information and Communication Technology

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DOI: 10.2026/NAIRJCSSH.025

References

1. Alliance for Affordable Internet. (2021). Affordability report
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3. European Commission. (2023). Digital Decade country report 2023. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-decade-country-reports
4. International Telecommunication Union. (2022). Measuring digital development: Facts and figures
2022. ITU Publications.
5. International Telecommunication Union. (2023). Measuring digital development: Facts and figures
2023. ITU Publications. https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/facts-figures-2023/
6. Norris, P. (2001). Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the Internet worldwide. Cambridge University Press.
7. UNESCO. (2020). Education: From school closure to recovery. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
8. Van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2006). Digital divide research, achievements and shortcomings. Poetics, 34(4–5), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2006.05.0049. World Bank. (2016). World development report 2016: Digital dividends. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0671-110. World Economic Forum. (2020). The future of jobs report 2020. https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020/

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Recommended Citation

JIA LAUD (2026). THE DIGITAL DIVIDE How Rich and Poor Countries Have Very Different Access to the Internet. North Asian International Research Journal of Social Science & Humanities. DOI: https://doiglobal.org/10.2026/NAIRJCSSH.025

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