Business and political leaders in the developed world believe the "digital divide" is narrowing while those in the developing world think it is widening, an international survey has found.
Europeans and North Americans believe the gap between rich and poor in access to information technology was narrowing while other regions were more sceptical, the survey said.
The Global Information Infrastructure Commission said this was evidence that different geographies attached different priorities to the issue and would require local solutions. The survey found more than 70 per cent of African respondents ranked access to information technology as a priority. In contrast, just 20 per cent of North American respondents put the digital divide first.
Mr John Lacopo, a senior technology consultant and survey author, said this showed those with access to technology saw the issue as less important than those who did not have access.
The commission, currently holding its annual conference in Dublin, will prepare several recommendations which it will make to the Dot Force organisation, a collection of individuals from the private, public sector and non-profit organisations formed to communicate with the G8. The survey was conducted among 200 business and political leaders within the organisation.
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