We will reach a point in the near future when someone will demand an answer to the question, "Who owns and governs the Internet?" In this UPI article, Digital divide shortchanged, advocates say, Michael Powell's influence (or lack thereof) is the target of government's lack of emphasis on closing the digital divide. Considering that the definition of Digital Divide is so ambiguous, I would question if the government should be looking at closing the divide (however defined) at all. This is not something that is fixed with a bandaid or by throwing large bundles of cash at it...closing the digital divide is a complex issue that extends all the way down to an indivual's personal choice.
From the UPI story:
Lee Rainies (Pew Institute) says, "Internet use is not a monolithic story," he would not take a position on the degree that government policies have helped or hindered closing the divide. For now, it seems that the policymakers are at a loss for creative strategies to close the remaining gaps to universal access and balance the need to reduce financial burdens elsewhere.
I recommend the article...but I also recommend that consideration be given to answering the ownership and governance question that I posed up front. How much influence do we want governments, considering the international nature of the Internet, to have over what some have termed the freedom to connect?