The History
Mapping the digital divide
In conjunction with the Office of the e-Envoy and De Montfort University, and using postcode information supplied by all major Internet Service Providers, Citizens Online conducted a unique national mapping exercise. Firstly, we pinpointed Internet connection in areas as small as a local government ward. Secondly, we matched each postcode to one of 12 standard household types. The result was a map which, as well as charting Internet connection by locality, allowed us to cross-reference connection with other socio-economic indicators. This data has enabled us to build up the most comprehensive picture yet of digital divide in the
As we expected, we found that the wealthiest groups adopt information technology at three times the rate of poorer ones. But by using this new data, we can also help identify reasons for unexpectedly high or low levels of Internet connectivity within a particular locality, such as the presence or absence of schools, public libraries, post offices, telephone exchanges, etc.
We developed a methodology to take these factors into account when investigating IT and Internet adoption - the Standardised Adoption Rate. We have used our new map of
