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The paper aims to present how the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the advent of the informational economy have unleashed changes in economic relations that were not uniform across the globe and lead these phenomena to a direct dialogue with the effects of Global Digital Divide. In this regard, the essay has been divided into three parts. On the firs part, after a comparative analysis with other concepts, is presented the concept of Paradigm of ICTs. The second part explores the dialogue between the Paradigm of ICTs and Global Digital Divide and how it allowed a dynamic that activate economically certain places on the planet while leaving others on standby. The third part presents the numbers of the Global Digital Divide based on studies of international institutions to strengthen the argument empirically. The essay concludes that quantitative and qualitative inequality in accessibility, trade and development of ICTs field between the two extremes of the Global Digital Divide indicates the need to change the current standard that divides the world into regions with easy access and developers of advanced ICTs (turn on areas) and regions with limited access, intensive manpower at low cost and absent in terms of research for the sector (standby areas)., O artigo busca apresentar como o desenvolvimento de Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação (TICs) e o advento de um novo paradigma desencadearam alterações de ordem econômica que não foram uniformes em todo globo e levaram estes fenômenos a um diálogo com os efeitos da Divisão Global Digital. Para isso, o trabalho foi divido em três partes. Na primeira, após uma análise comparativa com outros conceitos, é apresentado o conceito de Paradigma das TICs. Na segunda, explora-se o diálogo entre o Paradigma das TICs e a Divisão Global Digital e como ele permitiu uma dinâmica que aciona economicamente determinados lugares do planeta enquanto deixa outros em standby. E na terceira parte, são apresentados os números da Divisão Global Digital com base nos estudos de instituições internacionais a fim robustecer empiricamente a argumentação. Conclui-se que a desigualdade quantitativa e qualitativa em acessibilidade, comércio e desenvolvimento de TICs entre os dois extremos da Divisão Global Digital indica a necessidade de modificação do padrão atual que divide o mundo em regiões com acesso facilitado e desenvolvedoras de TICs avançadas (turn on) e regiões com acesso reduzido, intensivas em mão-de-obra a baixo custo e ausentes em termos de pesquisas para o setor (standby).

The paper illustrates that, when analysing the dynamics of the digital divide, the answer to the seemingly simple question ‘Is the digital divide increasing, decreasing, or is it constant?’ is not straightforward. An integral methodological tool that comprehensively addresses this question will be introduced. This methodological approach is based on the assumption that none of the existing statistical measures truly communicates the essence of a certain digital divide phenomenon (absolute measures, relative measures and S-time-distance are considered). In addition, even the simultaneous reporting of all three measures is insufficient. To monitor and interpret the dynamics of the digital divide it is therefore very important to explicitly take into account future scenarios of ICT diffusion among the observed subjects (e.g. population segments, countries…). We have developed these scenarios within the broad framework of the diffusion theory (Rogers, 1962, 2003), but with a distance from two of its implicit assumptions related to the deterministic conceptualisation of the diffusion process: the form of the diffusion function and the anticipated level of the final penetration rate. It is argued that the proper measure can only be provided if we anticipate and take into account the full distribution functions of the compared subjects or population segments and the location of the subject at a certain point in time.

Las culturas minoritarias, sus lenguas y tradiciones se vuelven más minoritarias y su aliento vital se debilita a medida que la globalización las sitúa dentro de un contexto mucho más amplio. La aparición de las Nuevas Tecnologías (NN.TT.) eInternet como base de las mismas ha supuesto una nueva discriminación entre los que tienen acceso a ellas y los que no. Las culturas minoritarias lo son por haber sido doblegadas por otra dominante y por ello, a menudo padecen males más acuciantes que la pérdida de su identidad (desempleo, pobreza, exclusión social, etc), lo cual hace aúnmás complicado reafirmar sus raíces cuando hacerlo significa continuar en condiciones de vida inferiores a las que uno tendría integrándose en la nueva cultura dominante. En este artículo, pretendemos mostrar la importancia de las NN.TT. y las enormes posibilidades que ofrece para la recuperación de estas culturas amenazadas, integrándolas en el mundo de Internet, dándoles una voz y un lugar donde reunirse, comunicarse y enriquecer el patrimonio universal con su visión particular y única del mundo. Minority cultures, their languages and traditions become even more of aminority and their vital breath fades out as globalization places them in a much widercontext. The appearance of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and the Internet as a backbone for them, has created a new discrimination between those who have access to them and those who do not. Minority cultures are defined by the fact that they have been overcome by a dominant culture; therefore, they often suffer more urgent evils than their identity loss (unemployment, poverty, social discrimination, etc.). This makes it also more difficult for them to reafirm their roots, since doing so means that they will be living at a lower standard than if they integrated in the dominant culture. In this article we intend to show the importance of the ICT and the enormous possibilities they offer to the recuperation of these endangered cultures, integrating themin the Internet world, giving them a voice and a space to meet, to communicate and to enrich the world heritage with their particular and unique vision of the world.