MIS Assignment #19 - Smartphones and the Great Digital Divide

Questions

1. Even though 44 percent of African Americans and Latinos own a smartphone while only 30 percent of white, non-Hispanics do, many people contend that this isn’t really closing the great digital divide because African Americans and Latinos use their smartphones more for entertainment than empowerment. Build an argument to support the previous statement.

The data provided did not mention the usage of the smartphone within the races/ethnicity when they access the internet. However the likely hood of the internet for the entertainment and empowerment is possible because of the limited capabilities of the smartphone and what is the offering provided by the basic smartphone when accessing internet.

2. When accessing the Internet, what can you do on a desktop or laptop computer that you can’t do on a smartphone?

The need to do computing power and data analysis that need software and application that minimum requirement to use only laptop computers. Business application, point of sale (pos) and BI app will need this to function properly. The other factors will be the connection and bandwidth speed much more reliable with the computer rather than smartphone.

If smartphones have fewer Internet capabilities (than desktop and laptop computers), can you necessarily link an increase in smartphone ownership within a U.S. based economically disadvantaged group of people to closing the great digital divide? Why or why not?

Yes, the usage of smartphone will penetrate the usage of internet for the users. As a result this will reduce the gap over the great digital divide.

3. How does an increase in smartphone ownership in a third-world geographic region like Africa close the digital divide for countries in that region?

The expansion of smartphone  in the region have important economic and social benefits. smartphone and mobile of broadband reduce the digital divide in rural areas, they will stimulate local economic growth.

If you owned a U.S. business and wanted to start doing business in Africa, what would be an essential part of your marketing strategy?

Cost of ownership of the smartphone and the benefits to use and communicates with the others in the country using the technology like voip, video conference to do business and enhance their life.

4. If you look at smartphone ownership by household income, you’ll notice a fairly sizable dip for the category of $50,000 - $75,000. To what do you attribute this? Justify your answer?

This could be the average  group for young family in middle income group. They have much more commitment to focus and budget to spend and support the family

5. Finally, will greater access to the Internet cause a closing of the great digital divide? You can answer Yes, No, or Some. Whatever the case, build an argument for your answer.  

Yes, by increase the accessibility to the internet with the expansion of smartphone  in the region have important economic and social benefits. smartphone and mobile of broadband reduce the digital divide in rural areas, they will stimulate local economic growth, although estimates vary concerning the magnitude of the causal impact. Smartphone is also important to urban individuals, given the role that mobile broadband can play in closing broadband access gaps for minority users. These potential benefits to users of mobile broadband, including increased digital citizenship and an expanded scope for mobile health participation and applications, not to mention the general economic consumer benefits gained by usage of the service, suggest that any policy affecting smartphone and broadband diffusion is highly important.