Access To Communication Technologies Research Articles

Асистивні технології як допоміжні засоби організації навчання осіб з вадами зору

The current problem of accessibility of information and communication technologies remains a priority when discussing the rights of people with special needs. Modern communication and information processing devices assume that the user has the ability to see, hear, speak and feel. As a result, people with physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments are unable to access and use computers due to limited human-machine interfaces that do not allow for change. Therefore, the main focus in world practice in the development of technology for people with special needs is focused on those aspects that provide constructive solutions that allow for alternative data representation and the ability to work with input and output devices. To solve this problem, assistive technologies are being developed. Based on the above, the aim of the article was to analyze the features of the use of assistive technologies in the organization of the educational process for the visually impaired. To achieve it, we used the method of analysis of scientific works of scientists and national standards of Ukraine. The article discusses assistive information technologies, which are special software or hardware designed to increase the availability of communication information for people with visual impairments. Analyzing the scientific work of scientists, we concluded that today in Ukraine there is no single conceptual and terminological apparatus to identify tools to empower people with special educational needs. To do this, scientists use a number of terms: "assistive technologies", "auxiliary or compensatory technologies". It is investigated that the necessary condition for successful training of visually impaired people is the creation of material and technical resources and the use of assistive technologies. It is established that in the organization of educational activities of persons with visual impairments is taken into account, above all, the safety and sustainability of the subject-spatial environment. The authors propose a classification and analyze the main assistive technologies used in the organization of training for people with visual impairments. The main approaches to improve the effectiveness of technology in the organization of the educational process of people with visual impairments are proposed.

ЭЛЕКТРОННОЕ УЧЕБНОЕ ПОСОБИЕ ПО РКИ КАК ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНЫЙ РЕСУРС И ФАКТОР ЯЗЫКОВОЙ АДАПТАЦИИ ИНОСТРАНЦЕВ В УСЛОВИЯХ РОССИЙСКОГО ГОРОДА И ВУЗА

The article outlines the principles and methods of presentation of educational material, content features and prospects for using such a resource as an electronic textbook in the practice of teaching foreigners focused on obtaining higher education in Siberian universities. The publication demonstrates the advantages of an electronic textbook that combines the academism of traditional (habitual) ways of organizing content with the efficiency and accessibility of modern information and communication technologies, since the latest methods of presenting material significantly expand the didactic potential of an electronic textbook, making it an effective means of forming the communicative competence of students. The article contains descriptions of the specifics of the materials that formed the basis of the electronic manual, examples of texts and assignments that form individual competencies and the first certification level of language proficiency in general, as well as indications of the prospects for using such educational resources in teaching practice. Despite the fact that the presented manual is aimed at foreigners studying at a specific Tyumen university, the resource can be useful for teachers of RFL in other cities and even abroad, since it introduces the realities of life in Russia from the angle of intercultural dialogue and the idea of comfortable language adaptation using computer technologies.

Improved transition to adult care in youth with type 1 diabetes: a pragmatic clinical trial.

Youth with type 1 diabetes are at high risk for loss to follow-up during the transition from paediatric to adult diabetes care. Our aim was to assess the effect of a communication technology enhanced transition coordinator intervention compared with usual care on clinic attendance among transitioning youth with type 1 diabetes. In this open label, pragmatic clinical trial of youth with type 1 diabetes, aged 17-18years, transitioning from paediatric to adult diabetes care, the intervention group received support from a transition coordinator who used communication technology and the control group received usual care. The primary outcome was the proportion of individuals that did not attend at least one routine clinic visit in adult diabetes care within 1year after transfer. Secondary outcomes included diabetes-related clinical outcomes and quality of life measures. There were no baseline differences in age, sex, HbA1c and number of follow-up visits, emergency department visits and diabetic ketoacidosis admissions in the 1year prior to transition between the usual care (n= 101) and intervention (n= 102) groups. In the year following transfer, 47.1% in the usual care group vs 11.9% in the intervention group did not attend any outpatient diabetes appointments (p< 0.01). There were no differences in glycaemic control or diabetic ketoacidosis post transfer. Our intervention was successful in improving clinic attendance among transitioning youth with type 1 diabetes. Importantly, this programme used simple, readily accessible communication technologies, which increases the sustainability and transferability of this strategy. isrctn.org ISRCTN13459962.

Análisis Jurídico de la Realidad Social que se vive en el ámbito educativo ante la pandemia generada por el virus SarsCov-2 (COVID-19).

El presente artículo analiza la situación jurídica y social que se vive en este nuevo paradigma ante el confinamiento derivado de la emergencia sanitaria del virus SarsCov-2 (Covid-19) para el ejercicio del derecho a la educación. Ante esta situación de confinamiento, las Tecnologías de la Información, Comunicación, Conocimiento y Aprendizaje juegan un papel muy importante para la impartición de las clases correspondientes a los planes y programas educativos; sin embargo, como es de nuestro conocimiento, muchas personas aún no cuentan con acceso a las diversas Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación que puedan ser indispensables para la adquisición de sus conocimientos escolares, lo cual ha generado que el derecho humano a la educación no se ejerza de manera integral.

Análisis de la competencia digital docente del profesorado de colegios rurales agrupado de la provincia de Albacete

La transmisión de la cultura digital es uno de los retos más destacados del actual sistema educativo. La Unión Europea se plantea a través de la Estrategia Europa 2020 mejorar la accesibilidad, el uso y la calidad de las Tecnologías de la Información y de la Comunicación (TIC) en las zonas rurales. Para que ello sea posible, se precisan de recursos materiales y profesionales digitalmente competentes. En este estudio se pretende conocer la realidad que viven las escuelas rurales, de la provincia de Albacete, en lo que respecta a la calidad de la TIC, los recursos disponibles y las competencias digitales de sus docentes. Para ello, se ha empleado una metodología descriptiva y se ha utilizado el cuestionario como instrumento de recogida de información. Los resultados demuestran que las intenciones políticas no concuerdan con la realidad encontrada en nuestros datos. Las infraestructuras tecnológicas carecen de la calidad suficiente que posibiliten un acceso a internet de forma segura y eficaz. Por otro lado, los docentes que desempeñan su labor en estos centros hacen un uso limitado de las tecnologías en estas aulas, caracterizadas por ser multinivel, debido a la falta de formación en competencias digitales. The transmission of digital culture is one of the most important challenges of the current education system. The European Union proposes, through the Europe 2020 Strategy, to improve the accessibility, use and quality of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in rural areas. For this to be possible, digitally competent material and professional resources are required. This study aims to know the reality of rural schools in the province of Albacete, in terms of the quality of ICT, the available resources and the digital skills of their teachers. For this, a descriptive methodology has been used and the questionnaire has been used as an information collection instrument. The results show that the political intentions do not match the reality found in our data. Technological infrastructures lack sufficient quality to enable internet access in a safe and efficient way. On the other hand, teachers who carry out their work in these centers make limited use of the technologies in these classrooms, characterized by being multilevel, due to the lack of training in digital skills.

Research and Application of Power Terminal Communication Access System Based on Heterogeneous Network Technology

In recent years, the basic business of power distribution production, such as distribution automation, power consumption information collection and load control, distributed power supply and so on, is growing rapidly, and the demand for power terminal communication access is increasing. Based on the analysis and research of terminal communication access technology, this paper proposes a heterogeneous network combination scheme which integrates multiple terminal communication technologies to solve the problems such as the limitation of existing terminal communication access network technology on the power distribution side. Heterogeneous network networking technology realizes the integration application of wireless private network, low-power wide area network, medium voltage broadband carrier and other channels. It can give full play to the advantages of various communication modes, improve the communication guarantee ability, meet the requirements of full coverage of power terminal communication access network business, provide strong channel support for terminal information return, and provide communication system construction for distribution terminal Useful reference.

Design and Evaluation of a Multihoming-Based Mobility Management Scheme to Support Inter Technology Handoff in PNEMO

Handoff management is an indispensable component in supporting network mobility. The handoff situation raises while the Mobile Router (MR) or Mobile Node (MN) crosses the different wireless communication access technologies. At the time of inter technology handoff the multiple interface based MR can accomplish multihoming features such as enhanced availability, traffic load balancing with seamless flow distribution. These multihoming topographies greatly responsible reducing network delays during inter technology handoff. This article proposes a multihoming based Mobility management in Proxy NEMO (MM-PNEMO) scheme that considers benefits of using multiple interfaces. To support the proposed scheme design a numerical framework is developed that will be used to assess the performance of the proposed MM-PNEMO scheme. The performance is evaluated in the state-of-art numerical simulation approach focusing the key success metrics of signalling cost and packet delivery cost, that eventually scaling the total handoff cost. The numerical simulation result shows that the proposed MM-PENMO delightedly reduces the average handoff cost to 60% compared to existing NEMO Basic support protocol (NEMO-BSP) and PNEMO.

Regional comparisons of the accessibility and use of ICT in the regions of Russia: the possibility of using integrated indicators

The aim of the study. The aim of the study is a statistical analysis of the accessibility and the use of information and communication technologies for the population and households based on the developed integrated indices in the regional aspect.Fundamental international documents refer to the increasing role of information in all spheres of society, and indicate that the number of the poorest households with, for example, a mobile phone is higher than that with the access to clean drinking water.Thus, it can be noted that the level of accessibility and use of information and communication technologies is a priority for the development of both individual countries and the world community as a whole.Materials and methods. Methods of grouping and multidimensional classification, analysis of variation, normalizing, construction of multidimensional averages and correlation analysis, as well as tabular and graphical methods of visual representation of the results of the study were used as statistical tools for the study. Microsoft Excel was used to process the primary information.Results. Comparison of currently used indicators has revealed the need to develop and build integrated indices in four main areas of ICT research: infrastructure (physical and information), ICT accessibility (physical and price affordability), the use of ICT (by the population and households, enterprises and organizations, in the public sector), knowledge and skills (education, digital skills). In this study, the analysis was carried out according to the characteristics of the accessibility and the use of ICT for the population and households. The results of the study at the federal district level led to the conclusion that, despite the existence of a unified policy in the field of ICT development and information society at the federal level, there are significant differences in the management of this process and the level of implementation of system development measures for ICT in individual federal districts and regions. The main result of the study is the classification of regions by levels of accessibility and use of ICT. The analysis revealed a significant direct relationship between the components of ICT accessibility and its use. The ratings based on the calculated multidimensional averages allowed us to reveal the leader and lagging regions of the Russian Federation in terms of the development of ICT and information society.Conclusion. According to the results of the statistical research positions of regions of the Russian Federation on the accessibility levels and the use of information and communication technologies were determined, as well as a direct relationship between the indices of accessibility and the use of ICT was revealed as a whole in the Russian Federation, and in individual federal districts.

The joint effects of information and communication technology development and intercultural miscommunication on international trade: Evidence from China and its trading partners

It is expected that advancements in communication technology can promote international trade by reducing transaction costs, improving efficiency, and moderating information asymmetry. Moreover, intercultural miscommunication caused by cultural differences generates costs from communication breakdowns during international trade. Using bilateral trade data from China and its major trading partners, this study not only provides further empirical evidence to support these claims but also examines the joint effect of those two factors on international trade, which have not been addressed in the literature. This study reveals the mixed results of the joint effects of intercultural miscommunication and the three factors of communication technology (access, use, and skills). More specifically, individualistic behaviours and masculine attitudes contribute the most to the negative effect on the relationship between international trade and communication technology access and use. In contrast, communication technology skills interact with intercultural miscommunication in different ways.

A Routine Activity Approach to Understand Cybergrooming Victimization Among Adolescents from Six Countries.

Little attention has been given academically to empirically tested theoretical frameworks that aim at measuring the risk of adolescents falling victim to cybergrooming. To this end, we have applied the routine activity theory (RAT) to investigate whether exposure to motivated offenders (PC/laptop ownership and Internet access in one's own bedroom), capable guardianship (parental mediation strategies of Internet use), and target suitability (adolescents' online disclosure of private information) might predict cybergrooming victimization among adolescents. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of 5,938 adolescents from Germany, India, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States, ranging in age from 12 to 18 (M = 14.77, SD = 1.60), we found that PC/laptop ownership and Internet access in one's own bedroom, parental mediation, and online disclosure are all directly associated with cybergrooming victimization. Although instructive parental mediation is negatively related to online disclosure and cybergrooming victimization, restrictive mediation is positively related to both. In addition, online disclosure partially mediated the relationship between parental mediation and cybergrooming victimization. The analyses confirm the effectiveness of applying RAT to cybergrooming. Moreover, this study highlights the need for prevention programs, including lessons on age-appropriate information and communication technology usage and access, to educate parents on using instructive strategies of Internet mediation, and inform adolescents about how to avoid disclosing too much private information online. RAT could function as a theoretical framework for these programs.

China’s prefectural digital divide: Spatial analysis and multivariate determinants of ICT diffusion

Much research has made efforts to elaborate upon different dimensions to the digital divide, including informational and communications technology (ICT) access, ICT usage, and ICT outcomes. We assess the utility of such perspectives for studying digital inequality across prefectural cities in China. China is the world's largest ICT market in terms of the number of mobile devices in use, internet users, and broadband subscriptions, yet it has notable digital inequality within and between provinces, prefectural cities, and counties. In this study, we built a conceptual framework of digital divides for prefectural cities in China, examined spatial agglomeration using cluster analysis, and explored the leading correlates using a geographically-weighted regression (GWR) model. A large digital divide among the prefectural cities in China was revealed, with cities with a high administrative level having a relatively high digital development index(DDI) score. Prefectural cities with high DDI levels are mainly agglomerated in large metropolitan areas, such as Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Straits. Prefectural cities with low DDI levels are concentrated in the rural-mountainous regions in southwest China and poverty-stricken areas in central and western China. This study also found that the leading determinants of the digital divide are urban residential income, the secondary education gross enrollment ratio, rural residential income, and the working age population ratio, which indicates that socio-economic problems, rather than institution and innovation aspects, have to be solved for improving ICT use and outcomes.

Accessibility and frequency of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) usages by Haryana Farmers

The study was carried out in four district of Haryana state namely Yamunanagar, Karnal, Hisar and Fatehabad, selected randomly. In total 240 respondents from 16 village were selected for analysis of Accessibility and frequency of ICT. Availability of mobile among the farmers was high followed by television, FM/Radio, internet accessed WhatsApp; face book; YouTube; E-mail, camera enabled mobile phone, Computer, , E-book and CD/VCD were found available and accessed by the farmers. Frequent use of mobile phone by farmers was found followed by TV, FM/Radio, internet, WhatsApp; Mobile phone, face book, YouTube, Computer, E-mail, E-book and CD/VCD. Farmers use of ICTs for the Variety of purpose included marketing, schedule of water supply, supportive facts, plant protection measures, marketing of dairy product, health care practices, management practices, breeding and reproduction practices. Variables education, socio-economic status, extension contact, mass media exposure, scientific orientation, economic motivation and risk orientation exhibited positive and significant whereas age exhibited negative significant with number of ICTs usage by farmers.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SPILLOVER

The positive spillover impacts of the efficiency of information and communication technology (ICT) and land accessibility as factor inputs to agricultural productivity are well documented in the literature. Furthermore, input-output efficiency as a measurement of factors contributing towards gross production is no exception in this regard. Few studies on agricultural production and ICT at the household level in South Africa show divergent empirical results. This study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and land for farming in the context of household food production in South Africa. Household engagement in agricultural activities is proxy for agricultural production, farm land size is a proxy for land accessibility, telephone and internet use are proxies for ICT in this study. Household data of twenty-one thousand, six hundred and one (21,601) households on agricultural activities and ICTs were generated from the existing survey data of General household survey, 2015 by Statistics South Africa. Majority of the households are not engaging in agricultural activities due to no access to land for farming, but more than 80 percent of the households have access to at least one form of ICTs penetration i.e. mobile telephony. The logit regression shows that internet connection in the household have positive and significant impact on household agricultural production but land accessibility is indirectly related and significant to household food production in South Africa. Therefore land accessibility may be a barrier to agricultural activity involvement in South Africa. The study shows that the positive spillover impacts of ICT may not be possible due to lack of access to land for agriculture. Land for farming, CDMA telephony and internet are highly required for agricultural activities in order to promote food production, reduce cost of telecommunications, promoting agricultural research and development via internet accessibility.

Unequal Development of the Digital Economy in Federal Districts of Russia

Introduction. The article covers the main indicators of the use of information and communication technologies by business, households and the population of the federal districts of the Russian Federation. Methods. The study was carried out by analysis and comparison of statistical information about the use of information and communication technologies in the federal districts of the Russian Federation. The research information base includes the materials of Rosstat, compilations of science statistics and the information society of Rosstat together with the HSE, as well as annual reports of telecommunication companies. Results and Discussion. The authors of the research offered complex indexes of digitalization of federal districts, in terms of the use of information and communication technologies by organizations and the public. Based on these complex indicators, the research divides the federal districts into three groups: with an index value above the average Russian value, close to average value and below the average Russian value. For all three groups the researchers calculated the basic social and economic indicators and demonstrated the relationship between the standard of living of the population of the federal district and its digitalization index. The speed and subscription fee for Internet access relative to the corresponding indicators of Moscow were calculated as a characteristic of the accessibility of information and communication technologies for the population of federal districts. The researchers also analyzed the economic activity of the main companies providing telecommunication services in the federal districts of the Russian Federation. Conclusion. Despite the recent positive trends, there is a large gap between the federal districts in terms of the usage of information and communication technologies. The different level of “digitalization” of federal districts is closely related to the unevenness of their social and economic development. This negatively affects the living conditions of the Russian population, limits the ability of residents of certain regions to find work, get access to on-line education, do business, promote their goods and services. To reduce the backlog of the third group of federal districts, it is recommended to pay special attention to the development of their human capital and increase the availability of information and communication technologies for the population.

Digital Innovation Adoption and Its Economic Impact Focused on Path Analysis at National Level

Purpose: The advancement of technologies and their adoption affects the socio-economic growth of nations. This research is focused on how this innovation adoption path is linked to economic growth of nations since the previous IT revolution has been combined with existing industries and adding values in terms of applying intelligence through adopting digital technologies. Approach/Design/Methodology: There are two different approaches—process approach and factor approach—in innovation adoption research. Innovation diffusion research, which is one of the process approaches, is related to adoption, diffusion, and impact theories, but there are limitations in explaining the perspective of a nation other than individual and organization on the basis of previous literatures. Therefore, we build the integrative model to verify innovative growth path of nations by applying Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DoI) and Technology (T)-Organization (O)-Environment (E) framework, which can explain factors of affecting innovation. We evaluate eight hypotheses with data collected from 137 to 212 nations using international information index by credible organizations: World Economic Forum (WEF), World Bank, United Nations (UN), and International Communications Union (ITU), based on the integrative model we proposed. The path analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is performed, and the result shows that the path from technological innovation capabilities (T), human capital (O), and environment (E) is related directly to economic impact, except for the path from human capital to value chain breadth directly and indirectly. The indirect path through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access, use, and value chain helps to understand the full impact of digital innovation. Practical implications: By verifying this relationship, we expect to give suggestions in policy perspective and in building strategy towards innovative growth of countries. Our results show that technological innovation capabilities take time to show impact in terms of economic growth than the other factors, which are human capital, and political and regulatory environment of country. The nurture of human capital directly affects to the economic growth of nations relative to other T and E factors. The political and regulatory environment support stable ICT usage, which gives impact to the economic growth of nations.

Transnational crisis translation: social media and forced migration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline how refugees’ transnational networks and online relationships facilitated through social media provide access to timely and trusted translated information in disaster settings. Design/methodology/approach The study is a digital ethnography of resettled refugees’ practices of transnational care and support through social media that took place over 12 months. It involved conducting 50 semi-structured interviews and collecting 472 online social media diaries with 15 participants. Data analysis was conducted through constructivist grounded theory. Findings Transnational networks are increasingly part of refugees’ everyday lives that illustrate how social media platforms can provide forms of transnational care and access to trusted translated communications during times of crisis. The paper discusses the possibilities and cautions of such support. Research limitations/implications The small number of participants limits the ability to make generalised claims about refugees and transnational possibilities for reducing disaster risk. However, the reality that social media effectively provide a bridge between “here” and “there” signals the importance of incorporating these considerations as a form of transnational disaster risk reduction. Practical implications The project highlights from policy and practice standpoints, how transnational networks and social media can be used to improve disaster communications and translation. This focus is achieved through examining the usability, accessibility and affordability of digital communication technologies for forced migrants. Originality/value Few studies focus on refugees and disaster risk reduction. This is particularly the case as it relates to the roles of transnational networks, which have increasing everyday interactions in countries that provide refugee resettlement programmes.

The Influence of Information and Communication Technology Access to the Mathematics Learning Achievement and Mathematical Anxiety of Elementary School Students

This research was conducted to determine information and communication technology for the learning achievement of mathematics and mathematical anxiety of elementary school students in Tasikmalaya. The greater the intensity of the child in accessing ICT both because of the freedom of the family and the easier it is to get ICT devices will affect the cognitive abilities of children. This study focuses on studying children’s mathematical learning achievement because in mathematics the cognitive aspects of children are widely developed including procedural numeracy and logical thinking skills. In addition, it will also examine the affective aspects of ICT access to students’ mathematical anxiety. The results showed that the intensity of elementary students in accessing ICT devices was very high and not followed by students’ learning achievement and math anxiety.

Performance measurements of communication access technologies and improved cognitive radio model for smart grid communication

AbstractTraditional power grids have unidirectional power flow and often information transfer, this limits their capacity for scalability, efficiency, and renewable energy integration. Smart grids (SGs) are being developed as more intelligent power grids with bidirectional power flow and information interchange. A reliable communication network is required in order to realize some important SG features, such as renewable energy integration, distributed energy resources, scalability, self‐healing and efficient holistic monitoring, and control capability. However, this communication network needs to comply with critical requirements. Cognitive radio (CR) has been projected as a possible solution to common problems in conventional wireless systems such as spectrum scarcity and interference. The CR accesses a greater range of spectra via dynamic spectrum access capability. This paper focuses on the evaluation of communication access technologies performance measurements and improved CR model for SG communications. This paper employs the National Institute of Standard framework for SG interoperability, the low power wide area network (LPWAN), multihoming, and a CR device such as TV white space band devices (TVBDs). The results from simulation analysis show that the performance of TVBDs outperforms the legacy Wi‐Fi in terms of latency; also, LPWA devices, such as LTE Cat1/LTE‐M devices, outperform the legacy cellular, such as CDMA 1x‐EVDO, in terms of latency and throughput. In addition, the improved CR model, which involves a proposed channel fragmentation strategy–based Alamouti scheme, outperforms legacy CR in terms of blocking probability and throughput in the harsh SG environment.

Technology acceptance of older persons living in residential care

The social, psychological, physical, and financial benefits of digital inclusion are of increasing importance for older persons. However, older persons are often less inclined to utilise technological communication with reports of perceived poor technology acceptance. In this context, a study was conducted to investigate communication technology acceptance in older persons living in residential care. A cross sectional survey of residents (≥60 yrs) of four inner city residences in Durban, South Africa was conducted to assess communication technology access and technology acceptance defined as Usage Behaviour. A researcher-administered questionnaire was based on the Senior Technology Acceptance Model (STAM). Descriptive statistics of STAM factors and structural equation model (SEM) were conducted to test this model, to quantify the importance of various technology acceptance factors on Usage Behaviour among older persons living in residential care. The survey had a 72.1% response rate (n=277). Most of the respondents owned mobile phones (87.6%), although there was low smartphone ownership. Family desire to communicate and ease of use motivated mobile phone acquisition. Behaviour Intention, Facilitating Conditions, Attitude to Life and Satisfaction and education level were significantly associated with Usage Behaviour. Gerontechnology Anxiety and Age showed significant negative associations with Usage Behaviour. The acceptance of communication technology in this setting was low and predominantly influenced by Attitudinal and Technological Context factors together with age and education.

Dynamics of Digital Inequality in Russia

This article contains research about the phenomenon of digital inequality among different social groups in Russia. The short literature review, conducted in it, concerns the factors, which have an impact on the rise and spread of digital inequality. The types of digital inequality have been analyzed, and each of them has the relative digital divide indicators calculated. It has been revealed, that the digital divide in terms of the Internet and information and communications technology access between the rural and urban population has been decreased, however the divide in terms of digital skills has been increased. There is almost no digital divide in ICT among the middle-aged groups, and it is constantly decreasing. Although the digital divide among the older-aged groups is also growing down, it is still high, and the divide in digital skills remains unchanged. It is noted, that the country's territory in length objectively increases the IT infrastructure costs, hampers providing for the high-quality internet-connection for the rural people and is the reason for digital divide in terms of Internet-access.