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Digital Divide and Rural Communities: Practical Solutions and Policies

Digital Divide and Rural Communities: Practical Solutions and Policies

John Garofalakis, Andreas Koskeris
Copyright: © 2010 |Pages: 23
ISBN13: 9781605666990|ISBN10: 1605666998|EISBN13: 9781605667003
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-699-0.ch021
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MLA

Garofalakis, John, and Andreas Koskeris. "Digital Divide and Rural Communities: Practical Solutions and Policies." Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides: Constructing an Equitable and Competitive Information Society, edited by Enrico Ferro, et al., IGI Global, 2010, pp. 386-408. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60566-699-0.ch021

APA

Garofalakis, J. & Koskeris, A. (2010). Digital Divide and Rural Communities: Practical Solutions and Policies. In E. Ferro, Y. Dwivedi, J. Gil-Garcia, & M. Williams (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides: Constructing an Equitable and Competitive Information Society (pp. 386-408). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60566-699-0.ch021

Chicago

Garofalakis, John, and Andreas Koskeris. "Digital Divide and Rural Communities: Practical Solutions and Policies." In Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides: Constructing an Equitable and Competitive Information Society, edited by Enrico Ferro, et al., 386-408. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2010. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60566-699-0.ch021

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Abstract

During the last years, due to the wide spread of World Wide Web (WWW), the Internet has become one of the most valuable and effective communications media and the most inclusive source of information. However, in many cases the difficulties of establishing universal effective access could serve to reinforce current patterns of social exclusion and produce barriers to balanced development instead of supporting it. World widely there is a rising concern over the so-called “digital divide”–a term that refers to the gap existing in the opportunities to access advanced information and communication technologies between geographic areas or by individuals at different socioeconomic levels. The experience shows that specialized initiatives are needed for disadvantaged areas in order to anticipate expansion of current digital divide. This chapter is focusing on the specific instance of digital divide occurring in rural territories, and examines the ways to foster digital culture among citizens, utilizing a specific initiative (the so called “Telecentres”).

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