Equal opportunities in communication in Hungary - a historical overview from 1847 to date, II

Abstract

Social inequalities can be observed in many fields, including communication and mass communication too. These inequalities lead to the "communication divide": some people have the opportunity to use various communication technologies and some have not, depending on their level of education, their economic situation or other factors. This study puts the communication divide in Hungary in historical perspective, from the use of the first telegraph to the use of the Internet. The paper also aims to demonstrate the various means that social policies, the commercial sector and civil society can offer in order to reduce the communication divide. The first part of the paper (published in "Scientific and Technical Information", vol. 53, No. 10) dealt with the topics of social inequality, communication divide, publicity, and information and communication technologies. The second part focuses on the history of the communication means and the spreading of Internet use in Hungary.