Spatial Analysis of Cyberspace and Mapping Cyberspace

사이버스페이스의 공간적 분석과 지도화

  • Published : 2002.09.01

Abstract

This study attempts to analyze the spatial characteristics of cyberspace and to map spatial variations of cyberspace. In order to analyze the spatial distribution of cyberspace, three measurement indices are selected such as commercial domain number, Internet backbone network, and Internet users, which are highly correlated to each other. The three sets of measurement showed that cyberspace in Korea is spreading in a highly uneven fashion, strongly favoring a few cities and unfavoring economically distressed cities. Seoul acts on overwhelmingly dominant role in cyberspace, by being concentrated a number of domains and having high-capacity bandwidth on Internet backbone network. Internet is selectively connecting several cities into highly interactive networks, while at the same time largely bypassing other cities. The development of Internet network through infrastructure investments at selected cities has resulted in an uneven accessibility and digital divide among cities. The regional disparity would be further reinforced by ICT development as the primary vehicle for unequal accessibility. The result of this study revealed that geography continues to matter, despite the recent rhetoric claiming of 'the death of distance'or 'the end of geography'.

본 연구의 목적은 사이버스페이스의 공간성을 분석하고 사이버스페이스의 공간적 차별화 현상을 지도화 하려는 것이다. 사이버스페이스의 공간성을 분석하게 위해 선정한 도메인수, 인터넷 기간망, 인터넷 이용자 수의 세 지표간에는 서로 높은 상관성을 띄고 있었다. 사이버스페이스는 공간적으로 매우 차별화 된 분포패턴을 보이고 있으며, 특히 서울의 수위성이 두드러지게 나타나고 있다. 인터넷은 특정 지역들을 선택적으로 연결시키는 동시에 나머지 지역들은 통과하여 접근성을 떨어뜨리면서, 지역간 정보격차를 유발시키고 있었다. 본 연구결과를 통해 디지털 사회가 진전되면서 대두되고 있는 '거리의 소멸 '또는 '지리학의 종말'이라는 주장과는 다르게 사이버스페이스에서도 지리공간은 여전히 중요한 역할을 담당하고 있음을 알 수 있다.

Keywords

References

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