It is widely agreed that different technologies (e.g., the steam engine, electricity, and the telephone) have revolutionized the world in various ways. As such, both old and new information and communication technologies (ICTs) are instrumental in the way they act as pre-requisites for development. However, the existence of the digital divide, defined as unequal access to and use of ICTs among individuals, households, and businesses within and among regions, and countries, threatens equal world, national, and regional development.
Given confirmed evidence that past unequal access to ICTs have accentuated national and regional income differences, the fear of further divergence is real in developing countries now that we live in a world characterized by economic globalization and accelerated international competition (i.e., New Economy). In Africa and Kenya, for instance, the presence of wide digital divides – regionally, between rural and urban areas, and within the urban areas – means that their threat is real.
This research, which employed spatial analysis and used the district as a geographical unit of analysis, carried out a detailed study of ICTs’ development potential and challenges in Kenya. It addressed the following questions: (1) What is the extent of the intra-national digital divide in Kenya? (2) What are the factors that determine Kenya’s intra-national digital divide? and (3) How can the intra-national digital divide be substantiated using regional-level data? The research obtained socio-economic, infrastructural, and geographical data.
Using descriptive, concentration, and spatial modeling techniques, the results indicate the presence of marked spatial digital divides as measured by the number of telephone connections and the number of Internet cafés in Kenya. These measures correspond with “old” and “new” digital divides, respectively. Spatial regression results showed lack of significant spatial dependence in the “old” digital divide and presence of significant spatial dependence in the “new” digital divide. Interpretation of regression results discusses the significant determinants of Kenya’s intra-national digital divide. These determinants include broadly socio-economic, infrastructural, and geographical variables. Further evidence identified roughly that telephone and Internet clustering in the country mirror the existing pattern of economic development. This means that the role of deliberate government policies in guiding ICT-related development towards convergence is paramount.