Information is connected directly to the power. In intelligence society, the more information someone gets, the more right he or she could get. And they could only be in a disadvantageous position without it. The core of present society is about who can access to the information fast and effective or not.
It is easy to estimate that internet development affect public’s access to be much better. But considering other side, internet information access makes generation gap deepen. Before appearance of the internet, all media like newspapers, television and radio were opened to the public comparatively equal. So the access to the information had no difference. There’s an example comparing TV and the internet. First, almost all the family in Korea has a television because subscription fee is just a few thousand won. Second and most of all, it is possible that from infants to the elderly over 100 can watch television and get information easily by clicking a remote control. These media’s accessibility is like square compare to the figures. On the other case, the internet media accessibility is like figure of a diamond. Too young people cannot approach to the information and the seniors cannot use that freely. These phenomena can be confirmed by internet community activity or organization and all sorts of statistical data prove it. The gap caused by information accessibility applies not only to the internet but to all kinds of digital media. As a result, digital gap comes up to specific group of people who have less opportunity. Therefore even if internet provides a lot of information in open way, it isn’t to some age group. It can’t give accessibility when gap between generations is deepened. If this is left as it is, it is going to make fatal problem to society.
‘Conversion of digital broadcasting and digital terrestrial television broadcasting on the activation of a special law’ (a special law on digital conversion) was published and in operation now. Also Broadcast Communications announced that they will decide the finishing date of analogue broadcasting before the end of 2012. And they are going to make ‘Digital Broadcasting Promotion Committee active’ plan. Compared to other developed countries, Korea made low result on digital conversion and inactiveness of spreading digital television. So the special law on digital conversion would be the chance of it.
In special law on digital conversion, Korea didn’t prepare to support the alienated class. And there were no advertising policy so the counterplot to the gap of information is still weak.
England established definite plans for the people who were alienated from it before conversion of digital broadcasting. And they published discussion on that subject so the advertising was well done already.
In the US, they announced digital conversion policy in 2005 and the plans for the future were well organized by the ‘digital conversion and public security’. And the thing is that they supported grants-in-aid by coupon system. Even Korea is also promoting to support people with subsidy but it’s not operating well.
Considering situation of digital conversion, the government should have broad ability of using digital media to each people. And the regular service should be wide spread than the past.
Ncomputing is now campaigns to eliminate the digital gap deployment with Bangladesh and India-based BRAC of headquarters. Ncomputing provides special price and programs for each country to achieve their goals in emerging markets. They actually help countries where they never get benefits from digital environment. ASF gave lots of computers than predicting and they succeeded. They almost attained to the goal reducing the digital gap of African countries by Ncomputing virtual desktop solution. Also Ncomputing CEO, chairman Stephen Dukker said that approximately 50 percent of NComputing's business is in the developing world. The company has offices in 14 countries, including India, Brazil, Korea, and Mexico. Also Dukker said "We think low-cost laptops are terrific products, but they're expensive products, even in the context of low-cost compared to a shared computing solution like ours." Dukker, then CEO of eMachines, helped make the PC affordable for millions in the 1990s by pioneering the market for PCs priced as low as $400. But when PC market unit growth hit the wall, eMachine’s razor thin margins?maybe 6% in the best of times?were not nearly enough to weather the storm. Dukker was ousted.
“As laudable as this dream is, the ideal unfortunately runs counter to a fundamental fact of life: a computer cannot exist independent of basic economic realities.” For PCs to be productive in this business and educational landscape, they require a host of supporting services, plus reasonable features and capabilities. A PC must communicate, which mandates connectivity. That, in turn, demands configuration, maintenance, professional services, technical support, and hardware and software upgradeability. Without a healthy ecosystem, a PC is not worth even $200.
Like this, there are lots of acts to solve digital gap. Government should improve digital environment and make an effort of information system.