Digital divide and digital transformation two sides of the same coin for rural territories in Costa Rica

Abstract

Costa Rica has a broad framework of public sector policies, programs, plans and actions aimed at incorporating information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a factor in national development, as well as a State Policy for Territorial Rural Development. However, the COVID 19 pandemic revealed that the territorial digital divide between urban and rural areas of the country prevents a real digital transformation that enhances the development of the country's rural territories. This situation was particularly serious in the education sector, where digital inequalities led to a process of educational exclusion of a large percentage of the student population, compromising their development expectations, with greater impact also on rural youth. To address this situation requires an articulated multilevel, multisectoral and interinstitutional policy approach, aligning and leveraging resources for strategic public investments and taking advantage of the potential of available participatory and inclusive governance mechanisms.