Access Denied & Connection Not Available Bridging the digital divide--Internet Access & skills development for the digital age for Rural Bluefields, Nicaragua (Rural Caribbean Coast) Author, Shanel Wilson
Abstract The North and South autonomous regions in Nicaragua a.k.a Rural Bluefields make up more than 50% of Nicaragua’s landmass and are home to less than 10% of the national population1. Bluefields known to the indigenous people as Región Autónoma Del Atlántico Sur (RAAS) of the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS, the Spanish acronym) of Nicaragua, and is one of the few cities in a largely rural region–which since 1894 was granted self-rule. Bluefields is a port city (see Figures 1-2) that has historically been dominated by Creole people. Bluefields is sacred land to the largest Indigenous residents on the Caribbean east coast of Nicaragua. The residents of Bluefields have a unique quality of life. Humble living; a consistent buzzing outdoor central market, with weekly worship with the Moravian church. Additionally, the land of Bluefields is accessorized with a medium sized wooden boat dock filled with professional fishermen and merchants to import and export their goods. President Ortega does not accept Bluefields as a self-governing territory. Despite being a diverse city with historic importance, Bluefield’s offers weak infrastructure and limited economic opportunities for locals. “Connection Not Available” and “Access Denied” are notifications familiar to those living in nations/areas with Internet accessibility and quality digital learning when trying to connect to the vast network that connects computers and other technology devices all over the world. Through the Internet, people can share information, access almost any type of material, and communicate from anywhere—as long as internet connection is granted. Access to the Internet and skills development for the digital economy is an urgent investment to fixing a plethora of issues rural Bluefield’s is facing. Fixing internet accessibility will increase skills development programs that will provide new dimensions to the way trade, agriculture, and healthcare is providing the rural Caribbean people the resources and innovation needed to ensure clean water, and advance education to produce a competitive economy. Background The COVID-19 pandemic exposed digital economic inequalities. Two thirds of the world’s children & teenagers have no internet access at home2. The numbers of those in Bluefields Nicaragua is startlingly lower. According to Static,3 iInternet access in Nicaragua is up by 1 million users, but of that 1 million about 40.8% of those live-in rural Nicaragua, and those on the Caribbean coast are less than 20%. Lack of internet access and skills development in the digital 1
(INIDE (Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo) [National Institute of Development Information], 2016) 2 (The International Telecommunications Union, n.d.) 3 https://www.statista.com/statistics/942400/number-internet-users-nicaragua/
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