Challenges and Opportunities for Coping with the Smart Divide in Rural America

Ruopu Li, Kang Chen and Di Wu

Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 2020, vol. 110, issue 2, 559-570

Abstract: Recent success in the many applications of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in urban settings largely defines our understanding of sustainable development in the context of smart societies and communities. The footprints of such smart transformation barely imprint in the countryside, however, where rural communities face tremendous barriers, such as the absence of ICT infrastructure, geographic isolation from technological advances, and various social inequalities. The conventional wisdom of smart societies and communities built on well-established broadband access and ICT applications in urban hubs might not be suitable for decentralized rural regions. We contend that a new form of digital divide in the context of recent ICT advancement—a smart divide—is evolving into a new challenge to smart societies and communities. This study aims to characterize the smart divide, an emerging type of social inequality. To address this aim, we conduct a literature review with a focus on the technological aspects of the smart divide in rural regions and identify potential gaps in smart infrastructure and smart applications and services between urban and rural America. The article culminates in a synthesis of potential strategies for bridging the smart divide in rural America. The study is expected to benefit scientists, planners, entrepreneurs, and policymakers interested in smart rural development.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/24694452.2019.1694402

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