Obstacles in Bridging the Digital Divide in Tanzania

This paper presents the primary findings of a study carried out in Tanzania. The study aimed to investigate the main obstacles in addressing digital divide initiatives in this developing country. Data collection techniques such as questionnaires, group discussions and interviews were employed to gather data used in this study. More than 20 rural areas were also visited to study the state of communication facilities in the country. The aim of the paper was to investigate the digital divide initiatives from technical, economical, social, cultural, habitual and institutional perspectives. The results of the study suggest Low financial power to be the key source of the gap which results into blocking the bridging initiatives and ultimately impairs the technical ability to provide connectivity to users. The willingness of people to adapt the use of the Internet still remains a challenge. The move to bridge the divide will hugely rely on government initiatives and support. This paper gives the reader the current situation in Tanzania, pointing out different challenges facing the initiatives to bridge the divide. It explains the effects that financial differences in society have on digital divide. It also explains how a significant lack of technical means increases the gap to information access. Although the study was conducted in Tanzania, the findings may be generalized to other developing countries with similar economical, geographical and demographical settings/framework