Bridging the digital divide

14 April 2010

A young Zandspruit resident tries out the Digital Doorway installation.

It is like a phone booth, but one for the cyber age: a robust, free-standing terminal that connects the user to the world – no matter how remote their location.

Known as a Digital Doorway, the computer booth was originally developed by the Meraka Institute and the South African Department of Science and Technology.

Monash then joined the partnership, recognising the potential of the 'doorway' to break down the digital divide between those who have access to computers and the internet and those who do not.

With built-in terminals and computer screens, the open-access computer kiosk aims to lower the social and economic barriers to information technology services, not only helping people to build IT skills, but providing a place for the community to meet, share and learn.

The program has grown dramatically since the first Digital Doorway was installed in the rural community of Cwili in South Africa in 2002. There are now 210 units throughout South Africa including one that Monash has donated to the community of Zandspruit, a settlement of almost 40,000 on the fringes of Johannesburg near the University's South African campus.

One of the key drivers of the initiative, Dr Larry Stillman from Faculty of Information Technology, said the units are highly-effective at breaking down the technological and communication divide that exists in many countries, including Australia.

"The aim of the initiative has been to develop computer literacy among school-age children and to facilitate individual and community learning in environments where limited technological infrastructure and access has held people back," he said.

"Just as Digital Doorways are breaking down barriers in South Africa, I see great potential for the scheme."

The Faculty of Information Technology has recently purchased a three-seater Digital Doorway for Clayton campus to assist with ongoing research and the development of applications for remote communities in Australia.