This research brings together digital inequality scholars from across the Americas and Caribbean to examine efforts to tackle digital inequality in Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, the United States, and Canada. As the case studies show, governmental policy has an important role to play in reducing digital disparities, particularly for potential users in rural or remote areas, as well as populations with great economic disparities. We find that public policy can effectively reduce access gaps when it combines the trifecta of network, device, and skill provision, especially through educational institutions. We also note, that urban populations have benefitted from digital inclusion strategies to a greater degree. This underscores that, no matter the national context, rural-urban digital inequality (and often associated economic inequality) is resistant to change. Even when access is provided, potential users may not find it affordable, lack skills, and/or see no benefit in adoption. We see the greatest potential for future digital inclusion in two related approaches: 1) initiatives that connect with hard-to-reach, remote, and rural communities outside urban cores and 2) initiatives that learn from communities about how best to provide digital resources while respecting their diversely situated contexts, while meeting social, economic and political needs.

中文翻译：

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跨美洲和加勒比海地区的数字包容性

这项研究聚集了来自美洲和加勒比海地区的数字不平等学者，研究了解决乌拉圭，智利，秘鲁，巴西，墨西哥，古巴，牙买加，美国和加拿大的数字不平等问题的努力。如案例研究所示，政府政策在减少数字差异方面可发挥重要作用，特别是对于农村或偏远地区的潜在用户以及经济差异巨大的人群。我们发现，公共政策将网络，设备和技能提供三者结合在一起时，可以有效地减少访问差距，特别是通过教育机构。我们还注意到，城市居民在更大程度上受益于数字包容策略。这突显出，无论国情如何，城乡数字不平等（通常伴随着经济不平等）可以抵抗变化。即使提供了访问权限，潜在用户也可能无法负担得起，缺乏技能和/或看不到采用的好处。我们认为，通过两种相关方法，未来数字包容性的最大潜力是：1）与城市核心地区以外难以到达的偏远社区和农村社区联系的举措； 2）向社区学习如何最好地提供数字资源的举措在满足社会，经济和政治需求的同时，尊重他们多元化的环境。