AS befits a biennial international event that has been billed as the "Olympics of ICT", there are many irons in the fire at the World Congress on Information Technology 2008 being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from May 18-22.

The digital divide is the topic of discussion at the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development conference to be held at the venue. It is an issue that is of great concern to Malaysia. Reducing the disparity between the rural and the urban, young and old, rich and poor, and the able-bodied and the disabled has been at the core of the country's national ICT agenda.

The funds made available in the Ninth Malaysia Plan speak volumes about the importance given to the drive to plug the gap between the technology haves and have-nots. The RM3.7 billion set aside is not only 60 per cent higher than the quantum provided in the previous plan but is also the second highest allocation in the ICT sector.

The focus of the blueprint to narrow the digital divide is on implementing the infrastructure plan for universal access to the Internet and making available more affordable ICT products and services. This includes the "One Home, One PC" initiative and developing community knowledge centres equipped with computers. Progress has been made in providing Malaysians with access to the Internet.

Telecentres, cybercafes, mobile Internet units, and programmes like e-Bario have widened access to the Web. However, while the goal of the telecentres and other programmes has been to service the under-served, the facilities appear to have been under-utilised. Some do not use the computers because they do not want to or do not find them useful. Others do not have the time to use them.
This suggests that closing the digital divide involves more than placing computers in locations for easy access. While wiring every nook and cranny of the country seems necessary, it does not appear to be sufficient to turn every citizen into a Netizen. What seems to be equally important is to demonstrate how the bits and bytes can empower and enrich lives by making it possible to pay bills, develop a business, receive medical treatment or get a diploma.

What is quite evident from the gap that still exists, despite the money thrown at the problem, is that we need a clearer idea about the impact of the current programmes.

This is necessary in order to develop better-targeted and more cost-effective strategies to bridge the divide.