As a place for knowledge exchange, urban areas have gathered the greatest revolutions and innovations of recent history. The fact of being articulated through shared spaces has facilitated discussion and trade amongst both local and foreign individuals, eventually bringing development and prosperity to their populations.
As a metaphor of these physical spaces, the process of digitization has helped during the last decades to create new connections in this globalized world. Shared spaces such as universities, headquarters of big and small sized enterprises, main squares or even cafés, have seen how the debates they used to host have been translated to the digital sphere. However, the virtual terrain needs certain infrastructure to guarantee knowledge exchange and that economic progress we previously mentioned; but —above all— it also needs empowered users capable of performing technology at its best.
Digital access, understood as a universal right
Digitalization has the implicit power of improving our quality of life, our access to rights and the discovery of new opportunities. But this has an implicit challenge: because it first arrives to the most populated areas, and later on to the edges. Today we can find a big difference between developed and developing countries, big towns and small villages, and even between neighborhoods of the same city.
Digital access should be a top priority for our governors. It became evident after the arrival of Covid-19 pandemic: how many children needed a strong Internet connection to follow their school program? How have the eldest members of our families escaped from solitude during the last months of lockdown? The amount of related questions is infinite; but the answer to all of them remains exactly the same.
According to the World Wide Web Foundation, “web access is now a prerequisite for many of the Sustainable Development Goals — from supporting education and reducing inequalities, driving economic growth and boosting health outcomes”.
From the European Parliament, to private organizations, passing through the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights. Many associations from all around the globe have asked governors to make digital access a human right.
How to guarantee digital equity, in 5 steps
The current situation arises as an enormous and global challenge, but it will be possible to revert the inequalities if governors act locally and implement social policies. Below, a step-by-step guide for achieving digital equity amongst our populations:
- Study the situation and extract reliable data
- Provide electronic devices to those social stratums that cannot afford them
- Provide broad-band Internet connection throughout public spaces and open networks
- Train and empower your inhabitants (at least at a user/basic level)
- Offer free education related to the technological field (code, process automation, data science…), gaining highly qualified professionals in a few years
It is obvious that these aren’t short-term solutions; but we have a great opportunity for bridging the divide and ensuring that everyone has the necessary tools to learn, grow up, and succeed.
In the case of developing countries, the collaboration between private initiatives and public contributors from developed economies should contribute to expand the power of technology, adapting the tool to local needs.
The translation of this step-by-step guide to local realities will bring both smart cities and smart villages in return.
Picture credits | SModa Magazine