By Ariana Eunjung Cha
Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, June 29, 2002; Page E01
LOS ANGELES -- Researchers mining the data from their survey of 2,000 U.S. households recently came across an interesting fact about the "digital divide." There isn't one. Or, at least, the divide that once was clear seems to be disappearing.
A team from the University of California at Los Angeles found that the gap between those who have Internet access and those who do not is closing when measured by the degree of education computer users have attained.
A separate government report showed the gap disappearing between urban and rural users, and the Pew Research Center said its analysis of Internet use found that the division is narrowing between whites and African Americans.
The conclusions have prompted a political fight. The Bush administration has seized upon the findings as a reason to reduce funding for programs that bring computers to low-income Americans. That has riled advocates for disadvantaged communities, who say reports that the digital divide has been closed are premature.
Each side accuses the other of twisting the statistics to support its position.
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and others argue that the studies are inconsistent. And even if more disadvantaged people have access to computers now than before, that does not necessarily mean that they have the skills to use the Internet to do things like find jobs, look up medical information or find information to help them make financial decisions, she said.
Last month, Mikulski joined 100 community, labor and professional organizations -- including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the AFL-CIO and the National Education Association -- to fight for more funding to close the digital divide.
The government has proposed to cut two programs from the fiscal year 2003 budget that once called for a total of $110 million in funding: the Education Department's Community Technology Centers program, which builds labs for after-school and adult-education use; and the Commerce Department's Technology Opportunities Program, which helps local groups install computer networks.
The Bush administration argues the programs no longer are necessary and that, since Sept. 11, the government has other priorities. Congress is likely to decide this fall whether to resurrect the projects.
The Commerce Department program, which provided Internet consulting services, "was created when the Internet was not very understood," Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman Amy Call said. "It was a foreign land to most people. Obviously, now there has been a dramatic rise in Internet familiarity."
Michael F. Gallagher, deputy director of the National Telecommunications and Information Department, said the administration "recognizes and appreciates the critical importance that we have Internet connections for the entire country."
