The Internet is revolutionizing the world economy, but some parts of the global village are being left behind. The growing gap between the information-rich and the information-poor means many rural and low-income areas -- and much of the Third World -- could lose out on jobs and economic development. Many public-private partnerships are trying to bridge the digital gap. In addition, President Clinton plans to seek up to $50 million in grants to help poor families get on-line, and pressure is growing to make high-speed Internet access universally available. But critics argue that lingering government regulations are preventing the free market from solving telecom access problems. And some in Congress want to scale back the popular “e-rate” program, which subsidizes Internet connections at schools and libraries.

Kathy Koch, CQ Researcher's assistant managing editor, previously served as a Researcher staff writer covering education and social issues. She also has covered environmental legislation for CQ Weekly, reported for newspapers in South Florida and freelanced in Asia and Africa for several U.S. newspapers, including The Christian Science Monitor and USA Today. She graduated in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kathy Koch, CQ Researcher's assistant managing editor, previously served as a Researcher staff writer covering education and social issues. She also has covered environmental legislation for CQ Weekly, reported for newspapers in South Florida and freelanced in Asia and Africa for several U.S. newspapers, including The Christian Science Monitor and USA Today. She graduated in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.