Mapping the global digital divide

The global digital divide as a concept is intuitively understood by most academicians, politicians and public policy makers. However, to date little empirical work exists to explain differences in per country access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The research that does exists places heavy influence on the impact of country wealth, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, on the diffusion of ICTs. While GDP per capita certainly influences the diffusion of ICTs within a country, it is not the sole determinant of a country's location versus other countries visa -vis the global digital divide. To investigate and map the global digital divide, as it currently exists, the authors utilize model-based cluster analysis to determine cohorts of countries based on three variables: personal computers per 100 population, Internet users per 100 population and Internet bandwidth per person. Data for these three variables was obtained from the 2008 International Telecommunications Union (ITU): The World Telecommunication/ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Indicators Database. Thus, this research is innovative on two levels. First, it introduces model-based cluster analysis to the international business research literature. And second, it introduces the variable of International bandwidth per person as a measure of the global digital divide. The results indicate that the global digital divide consists of four tiers. And although all of the developed countries are included in the first tier, some surprising results are obtained. Implications of the results are discussed and directions for future research are provided.