In Information Technology, convergence is the merging of digital communications technology, computing and digital media. Convergence of three product lines, Broadcasting, Telephony and Internet are now in a position to converge through wired and wireless media.

Any content can be digitized, transported, stored, retrieved, modified, and then distributed. The convergence of carriage (transmission media) and content (audio, video and data) along with applications opens up tremendous possibilities for delivering services and empowering people to choose, use and control voice, data and video services through a common media and device.

Information Technology together with Communication Technologies (ICTs) has brought about unprecedented changes in the way people communicate, conducts business, entertainment and social interaction in many countries. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are primarily enabling technologies and form part of the infrastructure sector of a modern economy - digital economy.

As we enter the Information Age, access to computer and the Internet is becoming increasingly vital. To be connected today increasingly means to have access to telephones, computers, and the Internet.

Trends are global-ability to do business and increasing competition from all corners of the globe in almost all fields. Information and Communication Technology tools, such as the PC and Internet, are increasingly critical to economic success and personal advancement. While these items may not be necessary for survival, arguably in today's emerging digital economy, they are necessary for success. Internet is rapidly becoming the 'market place' to sale products and services.

It is now realized that converged applications shall have a lot of bearing on governance to improve citizen services, creating efficiencies to reduce costs, bringing transparency and participation towards 'good governance'. Citizens are demanding better and more convenient services from their numerous government agencies.

While in the recent past, telecom, IT, and related technology issues lay outside the immediate 'circle of concern' of the public, the digital age has brought these issues into centre stage. It is already established that lack of access to such tools in any country shall affect the overall ability of that country. Hence, the issue of 'digital divide' has come into centre stage.

Digital Divide can be defined as disparities/ differences based on economic status, gender and geographic location between those who have or do not have i) access to information, the Internet, and other information technologies and services and ii) the skills, knowledge and abilities to use information, the Internet, and other technologies. So 'digital divide' impacts or manifest in community, workforce, institutions, governments, business, economies (local, state, national and international)

At present in India, only small portions of urban people have access to such tools. People in the rural areas are alarmingly lagging behind from telephony facility and Internet access. In rural areas, students do not have access to such tools even in schools, which are affecting the ability of children to improve their learning scope. Adults are restricted to learn valuable technology skills and knowledge, and families are deprived of benefits of online connections to important health and civic information and other services. Even, in the urban areas, there is a significant "digital divide" separating information "haves" and "have-nots".

Indeed, in many instances, the digital divide has widened between different states and regions in the country during last few years.

What are the primary causes for such 'digital divide' and how to bridge the gap between states, urban and rural areas in India?

A few causes are affordability due to high cost, lack of infrastructure and service maintenance problem in difficult terrains and high-cost regions as well as market size in some locations.

In India, according to a survey, urban people responded that telephone, computer, access to Internet is too expensive for them. In particular, cost of monthly bills ranked highest among reasons given by them that disconnected Internet use, then quality of service (QoS) and content comes next.

It is opined that there is an urgent need to take measures at national and state level in India to address the issue of "digital divide" and taking the benefits of ICT tools to the masses.

Pro-competition policies to reduce the prices of basic telephony, computers and information services will be a significant answer to make access to telephone, computer and the Internet affordable to many, but it is not likely the total solution.

While competition will make cost of telephone services, computers and the Internet increasingly affordable, these technologies would still remain beyond the budget of many households in urban and rural areas in India. It is highly unlikely that, in the foreseeable future, prices will fall to the point where most homes will have telephone, computer and Internet access. As a result, a digital divide would continue to exist at large between the information rich and information poor.

Given the great advantages accruing to those who have access, it is not economically or socially prudent to idly wait the day when most, if not all, homes can claim connectivity. Part of the short-term answer lies in providing Internet access through Community Information Centres (CICs), schools, libraries, market places and through other public access points. Data demonstrate that community access centres are particularly well used by those groups who lack access at home or at work.

It will be important to promote policies that directly enhance competition among companies manufacturing computers and other Internet devices, as well as among Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Expanding competition in rural areas and backward region will particularly be significant, as these areas lag behind the national average for telephone facility, PC-ownership and household Internet access.

Government supports in high-cost regions and difficult terrain areas of the country should be continued and be enhanced.

In India, there is a growing recognition of the newer and wider possibilities that Information and Communication Technology presents before the society in the recent times. Many governments have started taking actions in delivering information and IT enabled services to the citizens for making the lives of the people better and more comfortable in several ways using ICTs.

Though technological changes, convergence, and deregulation are taking place throughout the world including in India, specific roadmap needs to be prepared immediately to arrest many challenges considering our own requirements and priority etc. There is a great danger in allowing things to proceed in a segmented manner.

Note: Opinion expressed here not of NIC's but author's own.