Text: Commerce's Daley on Bridging the Digital Divide

Commerce Secretary William Daley December 9 welcomed hundreds of businesspeople, educators and minority community representatives to a conference on bridging the digital divide.

The digital divide is the documented difference in access to the Internet and information technologies that exists between white, upper-income citizens and low income and minority citizens.

Daley explained the digital divide with several charts in his speech at the Department of Commerce in Washington. The first two graphs showed the increasing numbers of people who are "going on-line" in recent years. The charts showed that access for whites is increasing more rapidly than for blacks or for Hispanics. The other charts showed that two-parent households have greater Internet access than blacks; and that low-income people have less access than higher income households.

Daley said, "I am absolutely convinced, as some have suggested, it is a matter of have (access) now, or have later. And the question we have to ask, is how do we make later, sooner?" The Commerce Secretary challenged the business community to work to close the digital divide.

Daley announced that his agency will do an annual survey to see what progress is being made.

Following is the text as prepared of Daley's remarks:

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REMARKS BY

COMMERCE SECRETARY WILLIAM M. DALEY

DIGITAL DIVIDE CONFERENCE

WASHINGTON D.C.

DECEMBER 9, 1999

(Text as Prepared for Delivery.)

This is an issue that both the President and Vice President have worked very hard on. In fact, almost a month ago, the President told me how much he wanted to be here today. But if you've been following the story about the fire fighters, you know the memorial service is today and he felt, he ought to be there.

But before he left, he invited some of our roundtable members to stop in. Then he made a commitment that, no question, will put this issue on the map next year. He announced he will take a trip around the country to point out ways to close the divide, as part of his new markets initiative. That is a good way to start the morning, and start the summit, and we thank him for that.

You know how important the Internet is to our economy. But not everybody benefits. So let me start by taking a look at how big the digital divide is.

Chart 1:

The top line shows white Americans increasingly are using the Internet. In 1997, about 20 percent were connected; last year, 30 percent were. The line on the bottom shows far fewer Americans of African descent are connected. Only 11 percent last year. What is most disturbing is this: the gap between these groups is getting bigger.

Chart 2:

This looks similar, because the same is true for other groups, such as Hispanics, shown here also in the lower line. Again, look at the gap -- it has obviously grown wider.

Chart 3:

There is also a divide based on whether you live in a single- or two-parent household. On the left, is the situation for white households. They are more likely to be connected (to the Internet) if there are two parents than if the household only has one parent. The same can be said for African-American families and for Hispanic families.

Chart 4:

This illustrates two things. First, the Internet is passing up poor people in this country. The group on the far left are Americans earning under $15,000. On the far right are those earning more than $75,000. Obviously, money matters. As you go from $15,000 all the way up to $75,000 -- every time you earn more, you are more likely to be connected. Second, the chart shows it matters where you live. Notice that no matter what the income level the Internet has not reached rural America, to the extent it has the rest of our country.

Obviously, we have some work ahead of us. Right now there are many families being left behind -- those I have just shown, as well as those living in Indian country and those who are disabled.

I am convinced this is not a matter of technology haves and have nots. I am absolutely convinced, as some have suggested, it is a matter of have now, or have later. And the question we have to ask, is how do we make later, sooner?

To be frank with you, I thought about setting a goal today. A goal that we will close the gap by a date certain. Or maybe a goal where we'd have a computer in every house, like a chicken in every pot, and two cars in every garage.

But the person who said that was the only Secretary of Commerce who ever became President, Herbert Hoover, and I have learned from my predecessor's mistake!

So, what's important today, isn't that I set a goal. It is that you set goals. You have the power to close this gap, and it's in your business interest to do so.

What's important isn't that all these CEOs (chief executive officers) are here. It is that they go back to their organizations and put the challenge of the digital divide on their agendas, and actually help the people who need it.

Many will have announcements later today or next year. And I thank them all, because this is not a problem government can solve, alone. Or industry, or the civil rights groups, or the non-profits can solve -- alone. But if we all make commitments, no question, we can solve it.

I want to start the process, by pledging to do two things.

First, (Assistant Secretary for Communications and Technology) Greg Rohde mentioned the Commerce (Department) reports that have put this issue in front of America. I can announce that every year we will now release a report, measuring our progress and pointing out where more work needs to be done. Think of it as a doctor, trying to prescribe a medicine, but needing the test results back first to know what's wrong. We will be providing those test results.

Second, I pledge to go to 12 cities, in 12 months to shine a spotlight on the digital divide. This will be a Digital Divide Tour. I will be looking to our roundtable members to help.

(President and CEO, National Urban League) Hugh Price will appreciate this. A few months ago I visited one of his sites here in Washington. A 12-year-old boy was being trained on the computer, and he was very kind to me. He went on our home page, and downloaded my picture, and made a business card for me. What's interesting is that afterwards, several senior citizens heard about it and were a little jealous. So, now they are teaching classes for seniors. If I were a little older, I would sign up, also. As my staff knows, there is a huge divide between my ability to use the Internet, and every other American's!

Before we move to the roundtable, let me end by saying, one more thing. As low as some of these numbers are, the fact is America leads the world in the Internet. No question, there is a huge divide between America online and the world online.

A few years ago, I was with President Clinton in Brazil. We visited a school, where students were using the Net to talk to students outside of Washington. The school in Brazil was wired, because an American company, with a big heart, adopted them -- the Xerox Corporation.

To be frank with you, the CEOs here today are hard-nosed people, looking to increase their markets, looking for well-trained future workers, looking for an edge. But they also understand, as Ron Brown liked to say, companies can do well by doing good. That is what this effort is all about. Thank you.

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