A Nuanced Understanding of ICT Access Divide among the Graduate Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores the differences in types of access to ICT based on
socioeconomic status among the graduate students in Bangladesh from
material access perspective. Divides in material access i.e. more nuanced
and complex understanding of access is getting priority where physical
access gap has been almost bridged. Graduate students in Bangladesh are
the most highly ICT-penetrated segment of the society where physical
access i.e. mere access to Internet somehow has almost reached to
saturation. Dearth of literature exists on material access divide among this
segment of population. An online survey has been conducted with purposive sampling on the master’s level students of three public universities in Bangladesh where 293 responses were received. Correlation and Chi-Square test reveal significant relationship between the level of
socioeconomic status and device and connection opportunity, device
diversity and Internet use frequency. Findings suggest that the higher the
level of socioeconomic status of the respondent is, it is more likely to have
better combination of devices, more devices, better connectivity to Internet
and more frequent use. Findings of the study can be useful to the
government agencies, international organizations, scholars and other
stakeholders in understanding the nature of ICT access and use among this
highly prospective segment of the population.