Interesting discussion in class last night about "digital entitlements," using Mansell's phrase, a couple of items through my inbox today that relate to that discussion. Via The Chron.com, a recent forum, called the Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development, at the United Nations urged:
"... urged private businesses to help governments make information technology more accessible and affordable, especially in developing countries.
Computers and communications technology should not just be "a privilege for the rich, but a tool for the poor," U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown said at a meeting of policy makers and high-tech experts.
Efforts to bridge the current "digital divide" should include linking villages to the Internet and providing cell phone technology cheaply to rural communities, he said at the launch of a U.N.-backed forum on using technology to battle global poverty and unemployment."
And, via the DDN listserv, notice of the Southeast Wireless and ICT Conference, which will "focus on the new and evolving technical, political, legal, and financial issues surrounding municipal broadband deployment. Industry experts and community leaders will present research results and practical hands-on experience derived from case studies on applying ICT to create digital communities and enhance rural life."
Finally, here's the link to the group I mentioned that's involved in grassroots efforts to provide wifi throughout NYC.
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