Left behind…again

Talk about the digital divide. This is a disaster.

From a highly valued reader, emailing about the price of Broadband in two poor countries:

Saturday is the day I often go and read the newspapers around the world..

Of the three major papers in Bolivia, only one had a small mention of the New Orleans events. The whole focus in on internal affairs and, judging from an advertisement that Cotas, the telecom co. in Santa Cruz, ran, the people will keep their heads in the sand: a 1Mb connection to internet costs 195 USD/month.

A slightly different image in Jamaica... and as for internet, the cable TV company has just launched a test to deliver access to 200 houses – a project initiated when I was there! – at prices that start at 40 USD for 128Kb and up, but they are ashamed of publishing them. The more things change, the less they do...

How true, and sad... I suppose the bright side of this story is to contrast against the stunning, rapid broadband development of India and China- thank God they "get it" and are investing in affordable, widespread digital infrastructure that will help people to escape poverty.

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