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Internet Connectivity (internet + connectivity)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Humanities and Social Sciences	60%

Selected Abstracts

The Golden Freeway: a preliminary evaluation of a pilot study advancing information technology as a social intervention for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2004
Jennifer Soutter BSc PhD
Abstract Established information technology was used in an attempt to reduce social isolation by providing each family who had a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy with a personal computer, and e-mail and Internet connectivity. Seventy-four of the 88 families in the north of England (i.e. Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, Teesside, and Tyne and Wear) with a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who was diagnosed before January 2000 had the equipment installed. Evaluations of equipment usage and parental perceptions of the project were carried out at 3 and 12 months post-installation. Results from quantitative and qualitative interviews with parents indicated that benefits accrued to the families and to the boys themselves: family relationships can be extended, and the boys can acquire a degree of independence which, according to parents' views, can boost self-confidence and self-esteem. As hoped, social isolation was felt to have been reduced, and an occupation, interest and enjoyment provided. The greatest use of the computer was for schoolwork with siblings sharing in this. Cost proved to be a problem for a number of families. For the project team, there were unexpected aspects: creating an e-community was more difficult than anticipated, more training was required and not all families would ever use the equipment to its fullest. However, families did emphasise the value of the project as a way of opening the world for their sons. [source]

Low-cost data communication network for rural telecom network management

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008
C. Jagadish
The backbone networking infrastructure of rural telecom networks is often costly and is of limited bandwidth. The availability of connectivity such as DSL or leased lines is scarce. In order to keep operational costs low, these rural telecom networks are often kept unmanned and are managed from a centralized network management station (NMS). This often requires a low-cost, efficient and reliable data communication network (DCN) between the rural telecom equipment and the central NMS. The conventional DCN used for telecom management consists either of leased lines or Internet connectivity. These are often costly and not freely available in rural areas. We have developed a new DCN model, based on dial-up, which is easily available. Using mathematical models and measurements we show that this DCN meets the QoS requirements of a telecom network at an affordable cost. We have implemented this DCN in corDECT networks. This is in use in India and Tunisia, and is under implementation in other similar countries. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Determinants of Intercountry Internet Diffusion Rates

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Phanindra V. Wunnava
This article employs cross-sectional data from 100 countries to analyze the main determinants of intercountry Internet diffusion rates. We set up an empirical model based on strong theoretical foundations, in which we regress Internet usage on variables that capture social, economic, and political differences between these countries. Our results support past findings that economic strength, infrastructure, and knowledge of the English language positively affect Internet connectivity. In addition to these indicators, the openness of a country, tertiary enrollment, and income equality are found to also have a significant positive effect on Internet diffusion. [source]

The digital divide: Who really benefits from the proposed solutions for closing the gap

PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2002
Roland D. Houston
The authors conducted an exploratory content analysis of 269 English language articles about the digital divide to identify potential connections between proposed solutions and the strategic interests of the proposers, or stakeholders. Articles were coded by type of suggested solution and by type of stakeholder offering the solution. Educators predominated in the study literature, stressing the need for a change in Internet connectivity, educational content, and a change in user education, socioeconomic status (SES), and culture. The digital industry provided the next largest number of articles, suggesting governmental policy changes to promote new equipment, increased Internet connectivity, the training of digital industry workers, and a change in content of the Internet. Articles from the nondigital business community suggested that no gap existed or that market dynamics (the status quo) would close it. [source]