Matt Johnson: Technological progress still failing to bridge digital divide

Aug 29 2007 by Matt Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

THE speed with which new technology becomes old technology shows no signs of slowing down.

This pace of change is one that has a bearing on pretty much every aspect of modern life – at home and at work.

When the big High Street retailers announce they are no longer going to stock things like VHS video recorders and music cassette recorders, the news amounts to the death knell for such products.

And nearly all decisions of this type are based on advances in digital technology prompting new market demands.

Last month marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of the compact disc.

Think how many millions of those there are in existence now. Then think how many vinyl records, super 8 cartridges and music cassettes have been consigned to the scrap heap.

If proof were needed of how advanced our digital technologies have become, it’s contained in the latest annual report from Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.

According to Ofcom’s report, the net, mobile phones and MP3 players are revolutionising how Britons spend their time.

It reveals that older media such as TV, radio and even DVDs are being abandoned in favour of more modern technology.

It also shows that women, in some age groups, are the dominant web users and older web users spend more time online than any group. Among children it showed that web and mobile phone use is growing at the expense of video games.

The full report is fascinating and says as much about emerging social trends as it does about business and domestic applications of digital technology.

The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio.

However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years.

Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.

It’s data like that which underlines how much the way we live – and the way we do business – has changed in recent years.

What’s changing at a more alarmingly slow pace is the closure of the digital divide.

Some analysts believe this research shows a digital divide getting wider. That should be a wake up call for Ofcom, the Government and our digital providers.

* MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group