The phrase "Mercedes Divide" is from a quote uttered by FCC Chairman Michael Powell (politician) at the initiation of his chairmanship. The statement took place during a press conference in which he stated "I think there is a Mercedes divide. I would like to have one, but I can't afford one." Michael Powell Michael Kevin Powell (born March 23, 1963) is an American politician and a Republican. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...
The phrase was a bookend that marked the beginning of a tumultuous chairmanship. Whether Chairman Powell could afford a Mercedes is debatable. He was said to be making $133k at the time. His father, Secretary of State Colin Powell, is reported to be a multi millionaire. What is not debatable is that Chairman Powell's policy during his time at the FCC favored the rich and corporate America. The communications market went from optimism for great competition, to massive consolidation and the virtual elimination of independent ISPs. Chairman Powell started his administration wanting to eliminate the Federal Communication Commission's digital divide program ERate. By the end of his administration, Erate was in turmoil, with GAO audits, congressional hearings, and problems of fraud. Colin Luther Powell, pronounced koh lihn (born April 5, 1937) was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 26, 2005 under President George W. Bush. ... The digital divide is a social/political issue referring to the socio-economic gap between communities that have access to computers and the Internet and those who do not. ...
The key point is that the global effort underway among governments, businesses, academia and the philanthropic community to bridge the digital divide isn't about distributing sophisticated technology to the undeserving, it's about how to expand access to information and communication technologies to promote social and economic development.
If we are ever to bridge the digital divide and open the knowledge economy to people in the developing world, entrepreneurs worldwide will need to spread the "entrepreneurial gospel." They will need to join with others to promote entrepreneurship and they will need to serve as role models and mentors for those creating new enterprises.
The digital divide may be difficult to bridge, but opportunities to apply new technologies for economic development and social good continue to grow.
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