Japan has announced a broadband to the home initiative and has also adopted a novel approach to IT literacy. To increase IT literacy, the public will receive vouchers for IT training. Japan lags behind Canada in Internet access. While nearly half of households have home computers, only three quarters of these have Internet access.³⁷

In summary, this overview has demonstrated that the diversity of initiatives being undertaken to address the digital divide are so numerous they are difficult to enumerate. But there are some clear lessons. While Canada is among the leaders in addressing the digital divide problem and is an example to others, at the same time there are gaps that need to be addressed. Many innovative approaches tried elsewhere may have relevancy to the Canadian context. As well, a review of international experience with the digital divide clearly demonstrates that something community-based initiatives share in common is the need for sustained, ongoing financial support. This support could be provided by a number of different means, including: government policy/programs; regulatory-based funds; and community support and partnerships. Most importantly, to be relevant to community needs (and therefore successful), these initiatives must be guided by local needs and involve community interests in decision making to be effective. The other important lesson is that there are no simple answers—the digital divide is very complex.

While there are similarities between the challenges facing Canada and the challenges of other countries (i.e., access, literacy, skills, employment opportunities, content, etc.), Canada, like the U.S., is able to respond to these challenges better than most countries. These advantages are due to greater technical and financial resources that are available, as well as to a better established base of physical, economic and social infrastructures. With these strengths, it is also evident that we share some of the same weaknesses, particularly the need to develop stronger social infrastructure and social literacy to benefit individuals and communities. Improved social infrastructure will help individuals and communities overcome some of the social and economic divides. Social infrastructure and social literacy (education, literacy, training, NGO support, community content, employment/skills training, learning content, etc.) are constituent components in realizing individual and societal participation and development.³⁸

³⁷ "Tokyo plans voucher for IT training", digitaldivide@list.benton.org, September 21, 2000; "Internet access rates still growing in Japan", digitaldivide@list.benton.org, October 13, 2000.
³⁸ Sen, A. 1999, Development as Freedom, New York: Knopf.