DIGITAL INEQUALITY: RUSSIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

• Main Authors: Safiullin Anton, Moiseeva Olesya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University 2019-12-01
• Series: Научно-технические ведомости СПбГПУ: Экономические науки
• Subjects: digital economy; digital divide; digital inequality; information and communication technologies; industry 4.0; russian economy
• Online Access: https://economy.spbstu.ru/article/2019..02/

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the digital divide Russia and the leading countries in the digital world in the context of the development of new information and communication technologies of Industry 4.0. The article clarifies the content of the categories «digital divide» and «digital inequality» and highlights the differences between this categories. These differences are presented in the technological, social, economic and others dimensions of inequality in the modern digital world and due not only to the connectivity and inclusion of subjects in information and communication technologies, but also to the intensity and efficiency of ICT implementation and use in all fields of activity and at all levels. The development of the digital economy and society leads to the infrastructural and technological digital divide that manifests in an increasing dimensions of inequality, in various spheres of life, because the individual and social welfare is increasingly dependent on the ability to use information and communication technologies for access to information and knowledge. The digitalization indicators in modern Russia are analyzed on the basis of international and national organizations data and ratings. The article concretizes the digital gap between Russia and the leading countries by digitalization indicators. The problem of digital inequality at the national level is relevant for modern Russia, despite the positive changes in the digitalization of the economy and society. In the context of the accelerating pace of digitalization for modern Russia, the risk of digital inequality and the emergence of the «Matthew effect» is growing, associated with entering the next wave of growth in the digital economy based on a shift from consumer-oriented Internet to industrial digitalization based on Industry 4.0 technologies.