London,:

As the issue of broadband network access is getting resolved in many countries, a range of new, more'human' challenges, such as affordability and a lack of digital skills are becoming the key causes of digital exclusion for millions of people, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The independent report, titled "Redefining the Digital Divide" was launched at the Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2013, an event hosted jointly by the GSMA and Huawei. The report was commissioned by Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider.

The report is based on research carried out by the EIU amongst more than 200 senior industry, political and policy-making figures worldwide. While industry executives, government officials and policy makers disagree on a number of issues, such as the best funding models and the role of regulation in addressing the new digital divide, they do agree that making broadband affordable for a wider cross-section of people and giving them the digital skills required to leverage the power of broadband are both key challenges and significant opportunities for social and economic development.

"There has been significant progress over the past decade in terms of making ICT services accessible and improving broadband speeds. Many countries are reaching near universal broadband access through a combination of fixed and mobile connections. But at the same time, there has been a lack of awareness surrounding adoption and usage rates. Policy-makers and executives now recognise that those left behind, including those in rural areas, are falling even further behind in today's digital society. Our research shows that the digital divide is getting narrower, but, unfortunately, it is also getting deeper," said Kim Andreasson, the report's author.

"Two-thirds of the policy-makers who participated in our research said digital skills are now crucial to functioning in today's digital society and will become even more critical in the years ahead. In addition, there is widespread agreement that the affordability of broadband services has replaced access to infrastructure as the biggest contributor to the digital divide today. Our research also shows that softer issues – including a lack of digital skills, illiteracy and the ability to use broadband services'usefully' – are, in many markets, becoming the new digital dividing lines," said Andreasson.

Commenting on the research findings, Liv Garfield, chief executive at Openreach, BT's access business in the United Kingdom, said: "If we look at the UK, the problem used to be access to broadband connections that were fast enough. Today over 73% of UK premises have access to superfast broadband and take up has more than doubled over the past year to 22% of UK homes and businesses. This shows what can be achieved when the private sector and government work together. We need to continue to work together to help eliminate the remaining barriers identified in the research to get everyone in the UK and around the world online."

The report includes six case studies that show how the digital divide is being addressed in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Australia, India and Russia. Each market faces very different challenges of geography and demographics. The strategies adopted in each market range from a laissez faire approach in the United States to a mix of private and public-sector funding in Europe and more government-centric initiatives in India and Australia.

Eric Xu, rotating CEO of Huawei, said: "In the future, our digital and physical worlds will become even more intertwined, creating a connected world of infinite possibilities. We have seen a gap in people's ability to use ICT technology and leverage its value. Therefore, the digital divide is no longer about whether people have access to the network. If we redefine the digital divide challenge, we can begin to work to address it. We believe providing broadband to everyone and enriching content and applications through the continuous development of broadband technology will be the key to bridging the new digital divide.

"As a provider of services and solutions that focus on the transportation, processing, storage and presentation of information, including the integration of content and the development of mobile internet and cloud service platforms, Huawei is dedicated to helping to advance the connected world, bridge the digital divide and boost sustainable growth together with operators around the world."

Select Key Findings

• Income and affordability are the most serious contributors to the digital divide today (63%), followed by a lack of digital skills and the ability to use digital technologies (56%)
• Who should fund the digital divide remains the biggest point of contention between government and industry leaders (30%), followed by disagreements on the need for enhanced IT skills (17%) and the role of competition and regulation (15%)
• Digital skills - a person's ability to access, adapt and create knowledge using digital tools - was cited as'very' or'somewhat important' by 99% of respondents, while 100% of respondents believe digital skills will become more important for people and businesses over the next three years.
• Partnerships, such as the private sector working with public sector subsidies (49%) or formal Public-Private Partnerships (41%), are considered the best approaches to leading solutions to the digital divide. Only 17% of respondents think the private sector alone is best suited to leading the challenge of the digital divide.

By:IANS