Cambridge A Level Information Technology (ICT): The digital divide (9626)

This study guide covers topic 6, The digital divide (section 6.1) of the Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (version 3). It is AS Level content, so it is part of both the AS Level and the full A Level. The syllabus states that Paper 1 (Theory) questions are based on sections 1–11, so this topic is examined there. Paper 2 (Practical) tasks are set on sections 8–11, but candidates apply knowledge and understanding from sections 1–7, which includes this topic.

Use it with the revision notes and the practice questions. The full course is on the Cambridge A Level IT hub, and you can tick off every outcome on the printable 9626 checklist. Not sure where your gaps are? Try a free diagnostic.

What this topic covers

Syllabus section	What you must be able to do	Level
6.1 What the digital divide is	Define the divide between people and regions with access to modern technology and information and those with restricted or no access	AS
6.1 Causes	Explain how the availability of high and low performance computers, and of wireless connections, creates the divide	AS
6.1 Effects	Describe inequality of access to all types of internet services and technology; describe ways of reducing the effects, including digital literacy teaching	AS
6.1 Groups affected	Explain how the divide affects people of different ages, city and rural dwellers, people with differing education, different socioeconomic groups, people with accessibility barriers, and people in more and less industrially developed nations	AS

Answers on this topic earn credit for applied, specific points. “Poor people cannot use computers” earns little; “a low-income family may share one low performance phone with a limited data plan, so a child cannot join a live online lesson” names the cause, the group and the effect.

What the digital divide is

The digital divide is the gap between people and regions that have access to modern technology and information and those that have restricted access or no access.

The syllabus gives examples of the technology involved:

• smart phones
• television
• personal computers
• tablet computers
• laptop computers
• internet access

Three points sharpen a definition: it applies to people and regions (two neighbours, two areas or two countries); access is not all-or-nothing (“restricted” covers a slow connection, a shared device or library-only access); and it is about information as well as devices.

A good one-sentence definition for an exam:

The digital divide is the gap between people or regions that have access to modern technology and information, such as smart phones, computers and internet access, and those that have restricted or no access to it.

Causes of the digital divide

The syllabus names two causes you must be able to explain.

The availability of high and low performance computers

Not everyone has the same quality of device.

• A high performance computer (fast processor, plenty of RAM, large storage, recent operating system) can run current software, modern web browsers, video calls, online learning platforms and productivity tools without difficulty.
• A low performance computer (older or cheaper, slow processor, little RAM) may not run up-to-date software, may not receive security or operating system updates, and may struggle with video, streaming or large web pages.

High performance devices cost more, so they are less available to some people and regions. This creates a divide even among people who are connected. Always link the device’s limits to something the user then cannot do.

Wireless connections

Most people reach the internet through wireless connections: Wi-Fi and mobile data networks. Their availability is uneven.

• Where there is good wireless coverage, people can get online anywhere, with fast and reliable connections.
• Where coverage is weak, slow or absent (for example, far from a mobile mast, or where there is no public Wi-Fi), people have restricted or no access, even if they own a suitable device.
• A connection that is slow or drops out limits what can be done: email may work, but streaming, video calls or uploading coursework may not.

Wireless networks need infrastructure such as masts and transmitters. Providers build this where it pays, so remote areas often have weaker coverage, which links this cause to the rural group and to less industrially developed nations.

Worked example 1 (Explain, 4 marks)

Question: Explain how the availability of wireless connections can cause a digital divide. [4]

Model answer:

• Many people access the internet through wireless connections such as mobile data or Wi-Fi. [1]
• Wireless coverage depends on infrastructure such as masts, which are less likely to be built in remote or sparsely populated areas. [1]
• People in these areas therefore have slow, unreliable or no connection, even if they own a device. [1]
• So they cannot use services such as video calls or online learning that people with good coverage can use, which creates a gap in access. [1]

The chain: cause → why it is uneven → what the person cannot do → the gap.

Effects of the digital divide

Inequality of access to all types of internet services and technology

The main effect is that people on the wrong side of the divide cannot use services that others take for granted. Organise your answers by type of service:

Type of service	What a person without access misses
Online banking and payments	Checking balances, paying bills and transferring money at any time; may face higher costs or travel to a branch
Online shopping	Wider choice and often lower prices; home delivery
Education and e-learning	Online lessons, research, homework platforms, online courses
Employment	Job adverts and online applications; remote working
Government and public services	Online forms, applications, tax returns, appointment booking
Health	Booking appointments, online consultations, health information
Communication	Email, messaging, video calls with family and colleagues

The inequality often reinforces itself: a person who cannot apply for jobs online may struggle to get a better-paid job, which makes a device and connection harder to afford. Linked reasoning like this earns credit.

Reducing the effects, including digital literacy teaching

The syllabus names digital literacy teaching as one way to reduce the effects. Digital literacy means having the skills to find, use, evaluate and create information using digital technology, and to do so safely.

Digital literacy teaching might include:

• using a device, touchscreen and basic software
• searching for information and judging whether a source is reliable
• using email, online forms and services such as banking
• staying safe online: strong passwords, recognising phishing, protecting personal data

It targets the divide caused by lack of skills or confidence, which affects some older people and people with less education.

Other ways of reducing the effects include:

• improving infrastructure: extending mobile and broadband coverage to rural and remote areas
• public access points: free computers and Wi-Fi in libraries, community centres and schools
• lower-cost or subsidised devices and data: loaning laptops to pupils, discounted connections for low-income households
• accessible design and assistive technology: screen readers, screen magnification, text-to-speech, voice recognition and alternative input devices
• keeping non-digital routes open, such as paper forms or phone contact

When a question asks you to suggest a way of reducing the effects, match the measure to the cause. Free Wi-Fi does not help someone who does not know how to use a browser; digital literacy teaching does not help someone with no signal.

Worked example 2 (Suggest, 3 marks)

Question: A town council finds that many residents over 70 do not use its online services. Suggest how the council could reduce the effect of the digital divide on this group. [3]

Model answer:

• Run free digital literacy classes at the library, teaching residents how to use a tablet and the council’s online forms. [1]
• This builds the skills and confidence that the group may lack, so more residents can use the services independently. [1]
• Keep a telephone or paper option for those who still cannot use the online services, so they are not excluded. [1]

Groups affected by the digital divide

The syllabus lists six groups. For each, know why the group may be affected and what it means for them.

People in different age groups

• Many younger people have grown up with technology and use it confidently.
• Some older people did not use computers at school or work, so may lack skills or confidence, or fear online fraud.
• Effect: they may be excluded as banks, shops and public services move online. Write “some older people”, not “older people”, to avoid overgeneralising.

Worked example 3 (interpreting data)

A fictional survey asked adults whether they used online banking in the last month. 372 of 400 people aged 18–30 said yes; 85 of 250 people aged 70 and over said yes.

18–30:  372 ÷ 400 × 100 = 93%
70+:     85 ÷ 250 × 100 = 34%
Gap:     93 − 34 = 59 percentage points

Conclusion: “Use is 59 percentage points lower for those aged 70 and over, suggesting an age-related divide; digital literacy classes on safe online banking could reduce it.” Use percentage points for a difference between percentages.

People in cities and people in rural areas

• Cities usually have dense mobile coverage, fast broadband and public Wi-Fi.
• Rural areas may have weak or no signal and slower connections, because infrastructure is expensive to build for few users.
• Effect: rural residents may be unable to work from home or attend online classes, even though online services could save them long journeys.

People with differing levels of education

• People with more education are more likely to have the skills to use technology and to judge information critically.
• People with less education may lack reading or digital skills, making online services harder to use.
• Effect: fewer job opportunities, since many jobs and applications need digital skills. This is where digital literacy teaching is most directly useful.

People in different socioeconomic groups

• Devices, connections and data plans cost money.
• Lower-income households may have no device, or only a low performance or shared device and a limited data plan.
• Higher-income households can afford high performance devices and fast connections.
• Effect: children in lower-income households may be unable to complete online homework; adults miss online discounts and job opportunities.

People with accessibility barriers

The syllabus includes people with learning difficulties or physical or sensory impairments.

• Visual impairment: may need a screen reader or magnification to use a standard screen.
• Physical impairment: may find a standard keyboard or mouse hard to use.
• Hearing impairment: needs captions or transcripts for video and audio.
• Learning difficulty: may find complex websites or long forms hard to follow.
• Effect: if websites and software are not designed to be accessible, or assistive technology is unaffordable, these people have restricted access.

People in more and less industrially developed nations

• More industrially developed nations usually have extensive infrastructure (reliable electricity, broadband, mobile networks) and high technological awareness.
• Less industrially developed nations may have less infrastructure, fewer affordable devices and lower technological awareness.
• Effect: a divide between countries in access to online education, trade, health information and global communication.

Common errors

• Defining the divide as “people who don’t have computers”. The syllabus says “restricted or no access” to technology and information. Include both.
• Listing a group without a reason. “Rural people are affected” scores little; add the cause (weak wireless coverage) and the effect.
• Mixing up the two causes. A fast connection on a low performance device is still limited; a high performance device with no signal is still offline.
• Suggesting a solution that does not match the problem. Match digital literacy teaching to skills gaps, and infrastructure to coverage gaps.
• Writing “percent” for the difference between two percentages. Say “percentage points”.

Where to go next

• Condensed recall: The digital divide revision notes
• Exam-style questions with marked answers: The digital divide practice questions
• Related AS topics: Hardware and software (the computers and software behind access) and Data processing and information

Official syllabus

Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, version 3 (published July 2025), Cambridge International, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Topic 6, The digital divide, section 6.1.