Mobile Broadband Affordability and the Global Digital Divide -- An Information Ethics Perspective

Abstract

Access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) is becoming a necessity not only for communication, but for commerce, and for obtaining information about healthcare, employment, and education. Unfortunately, the global digital divide has deepened to include limits on access to mobile broadband services. This paper uses an information ethics (IE) perspective, based the work of Floridi, which builds on previous ethics work by Rawls and Sen. From an IE perspective, we empirically examine the impact of economic, social and political dimensions of social justice (due to Rawls), individual capabilities (due to Sen), and governance principles on mobile broadband affordability in 103 countries. Key questions addressed are: (1) do people have a right to access the Internet via broadband for services and information that are vital to their well-being? And (2) what factors enable or hinder people from being able to afford mobile broadband access in order to obtain such information? This cross-national study shows that specific forces of social justice -- income inequality and a shared investment in ICTs -- and an individual capability -- per capita income -- together determine to what extent mobile broadband services are affordable. This study also shows that a more competitive mobile telecommunications ecosystem reduces the cost of mobile broadband services. Furthermore, these results hold even when the cost of mobile broadband in each country is normalized by the per capita gross national income.