THINK! is an international non profit think-tank whose aim is to circulate knowledge on how digital technologies can enable innovation processes and sustainable development
Race Online 2012
CATEGORY: Digital divide (Show all
)
TAGLINE: Make the UK the first nation in the world where everyone can use the web.
KEYWORDS: Digital alphabetization
WHERE: UK
WHO: Race Online 2012
"In the internet age, we need to ensure that people aren't being left behind as more and more services and business move online. But this issue isn't just about fairness as Martha's work shows, promoting digital inclusion is essential for a dynamic modern economy and can help to make government more efficient and effective." (The Prime Minister - David Cameron)
Race Online 2012 is a challenge to everyone in the UK. The ambition is to make the UK the first nation in the world where everyone can use the web.
The UK has 40 million adult internet users, with 30 million people using the web every day. However, there are 9 million adults in the UK who have never used the internet – the combined size of the entire population of our five biggest cities. Four million of those are among the most disadvantaged:
- 39% are over 65
- 38% are unemployed
- 19% are families with children.
Race Online 2012 has good community ICT infrastructure in schools, libraries, and in UK online centres, which recently received an additional investment of £30m to help an extra one million people to get online by 2013. Toolkits have also been created to support local community champions via programmes such as Everybody Online. There are other community facilities such as GP surgeries, Post Offices and Citizens Advice Bureaux that may also play a part in supporting those without access to the internet at home.
Around 90% of homes can readily get a broadband connection at 2Mbps (or higher) and the Government supports the commitment to ensure a universal service level of 2Mbps as the very minimum that should be available. Broadband prices are falling, with average monthly charges for broadband via a copper phone line being £13.61 (excluding VAT) in 2009 compared to £23.30 in the last quarter of 2005. UK prices are now among the lowest in the world.