It would appear to be a common misconception that the Internet's Digital Divide is created purely by a lack of technology, high cost and or coverage. New research from Oxford University has shown that, one way or another, most UK residents could get online if they want to, yet many CHOOSE not to:

Research to be published tomorrow by the Oxford University Internet Institute says that just 4% of Britons lack any kind of internet access. In other words, most of those offline are opting not to log in.

The research, carried out for the institute by ICM, involved interviewing more than 2,000 people. It finds that 88% of Britons say they have access to the internet through a local library, 77% through an internet cafe and 75% through a mobile phone.

However, the research shows that just 59.2% are current users of the internet, 34.7% have never used it and 6% are former users, having tried the net for, on average, between nine months and a year. This means that among the former users and the never-users are a significant number who have the time and means to go online but choose not to.

It's not unlike a similar assumption that some have chosen to make regarding broadband. In some circles there's a belief that, if covered, you should have broadband. However many still only require a bog standard dialup connection. More in The Guardian Newspaper.