The Digital Dominion ’ s Digital Divide

SPRING 2001 On August 31, 2000, Governor James S. Gilmore proclaimed Virginia the Digital Dominion. With the ambitious goal of making Virginia a model for the rest of the world, the governor is committed to promoting state growth and development through information technology (IT) and to using technology “to break down the barriers that distance people from their government.” Virginia is undoubtedly in the forefront of the IT revolution. Not only is Northern Virginia the home of some of the world’s top Internet and IT companies, but state policymakers have initiated a number of innovative policies. Virginia was the first state to have an Internet policy, to sign the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act, and to have a cabinet-level secretary of technology. Several of these initiatives are designed to promote e-commerce, while others set up a system of protections for state citizens. But the state administration also recognizes that Virginia has a long way to go to fulfill the governor’s vision of a “freer and more advanced Virginia.” Standing in the way is the “Digital Divide,” a set of social, technological, and economic conditions that severely limit the ability of some individuals and communities to share in the promise and prosperity of the new information technologies. Our nation has a Digital Divide, as do all individual states. Virginia is no exception. Indeed, data suggest that in some respects the Digital Divide in Virginia is both deeper than might be expected—and growing rather than shrinking. So what is a Digital Divide? The term “Digital Divide” generally refers to inequality in access to computing technology and the Internet by individuals within a society. While much of the discussion to date has focused on access to these IT resources by individuals—such as at home, school, and work— it is also clear that the concept of a Digital Divide applies to whole communities. In some regions of the United States, particularly in rural and poor areas, neighborhoods and towns lack critical telecommunications networks and computing resources that would let them promote their economic development, stimulate educational achievement, and enhance the quality of life of their residents. The lack of local Internet service providers, out-dated and inadequate computing equipment, and the absence of last-mile broadband access in many communities mean an inability to support business-to-business communication, telemedicine, distance learning, and videoand audio-enriched Internet content. The Digital Divide is about more than technological access, however. It also includes concerns about computer literacy, information literacy, and the availability of Internet (and other multimedia) content appropriate to individuals’ needs and interests. National data suggest that the Digital Divide is as problematic on the dimensions of literacy and content as it is for access. For example, The College Board found that only half of college-bound seniors had achieved basic levels of computer literacy, and many graduating JAMES BOHLAND is the interim provost of Virginia Tech. He is a professor of urban affairs and planning and director of the university’s School of Public and International Affairs. MARIA PAPADAKIS is an associate professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech and director of the Institute for the Social Assessment of Information Technology. RICHARD WORRALL is a university visiting professor in Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy. DAVID ZELLMER is a Ph.D. student in Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies. His research focuses on fostering the deliberate use of information and communication technologies for equitable participation in sustainable communities. Several different sources of data on IT access exist. But differences in measurements, survey methods, and definitions make comparisons across surveys difficult. The most reliable data on access to information technologies is the computer and Internet supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted regularly by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Our analysis uses the August 2000 CPS survey data to measure access to information technology in Virginia. The Digital Dominion’s Digital Divide