The written and unwritten rules of internet exclusion: inequality, institutions and network disadvantage in cities of the Global South

ABSTRACT

Studies about the link between income and Internet access tend to focus exclusively on the demand side, or, when considering the supply side, to neglect any possible role of local and informal institutions. This research pays attention to the relationship between income distribution and Internet access within metropolitan areas of the Global South, with a special emphasis on local and informal institutions that could shape the ways by which this relationship works. Using a mixed-methods approach, two Latin American metropolitan areas are analysed: Santiago (Chile) and Medellín (Colombia). Although income is clearly linked to household Internet access in both cases, there are supply-side differences that can influence the income-connectivity nexus. The author proposes to introduce the concept of ‘institutionally generated network disadvantage’. Examples of formal and informal institutional factors are redlining, informal housing, socio-spatial segregation, tax exemptions and local public provision of services. The urban poor seem to be the most affected by institutionally generated digital exclusion.

KEYWORDS:

• Internet
• inequality
• Global South
• digital divide
• institutions

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This research was possible thanks to the Becas Chile Program from the Chilean National Commission for Science and Technology (CONICYT) (Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica). This work was funded by the CONICYT PFCHA/DOCTORADO BECAS CHILE/2016 – 72170123.

Notes on contributors

Nicolás Valenzuela-Levi

Nicolás Valenzuela-Levi is a PhD researcher at the Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the link between income inequality and adoption of technologies within network industries. Apart from internet, his work also focuses on waste management and public transport. [email: [email protected]]