2006年VOA标准英语-UN Finds Developing Countries Lag Behind in Bro

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
16 November 2006

A new report says developing countries that do not have broadband access to the Internet are at a big competitive disadvantage with businesses in industrialized countries.   The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, has just launched its Information Economy Report 2006.  The U.N. agency says access to broadband is becoming the big new information and technological¹ divide between rich and poor countries.

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The report says developing countries are catching² up with the industrialized countries in the number of Internet-users.  In 2000, it notes developing countries and transitional economies made up 27 percent of Internet-users.  That number reached 48 percent last year.

That is the good news.  The bad news is that the digital divide between rich and poor countries still exists.  Genevieve Feraud is chief of UNCTAD's information technology branch.  She says access in developing countries is generally low.  And only a few countries, such as Korea and South Africa, account for the high number of Internet users.

"Approximately, one-third of developing countries still have a [broadband] penetration³ rate that is less than five percent," she said. "And, it is true that Africa has the highest growth rate since many countries start from very low levels.  But, it has the lowest penetration rate."   

  
  
The report reveals an even greater north-south digital divide in the percentage of enterprises that have access to broadband networks.  Last year, it notes 63 percent of businesses in the European Union were connected to broadband while in many developing countries, the level of access was below one percent.

Feraud says broadband is absolutely essential.  In this world of globalization, she says it is difficult to have a business without broadband.

"It is of course growing rapidly in developed countries, while in developing countries, dial-up is still prevalent in many places," she said. "So, of course, that has consequences on the integration⁴ of e-business in these countries in the information economy.  Broadband is so important that we named it this year, a utility just as necessary as water and electricity." 

The mobile phone is the one technology in which the poor countries beat out the rich ones.  The report says developing countries have surpassed developed countries in the number of mobile phone users.  But, even there, penetration rates vary widely.  The report says their use in some countries is less than 10 percent. 

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

3 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

4 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。