Lets drop this pretence of "Internet for All" shall we....

Wednesday, June 10. 2009

Lets drop this pretence of "Internet for All" shall we....

Shock Horror - Ofcom research shows that not everyone wants internet access in the UK. The BBC notes:

The Ofcom research identified two main groups of people without access to the net - the self-excluded and those who are staying offline for financial reasons.

Some 42% of adults said that they had no interest or need for the internet. This so-called self-excluded group tended to be older or retired, with 61% confessing to never having used a computer. Not all older people are silver surfers

For 30% of those currently offline the main reasons given for that choice was financial or lack of skills.

Half-price computers and discounted monthly tariffs may not be the way forward though.

When asked what would change their minds about going online, only 9% said cheaper deals would be an incentive. Free training was identified by 11% with the majority (58%) choosing "not interested" or "don't know".

One in five adults those said they would sign up for some form of internet service in the next six months.

Does this scupper the Digital Britain initiative?

We would argue no, and in fact it does allow it to progress even though some people won't go online, as it removed the stool the "all must be online before we go forward" lobby have been standing on. So long as every person can access the internet, this gives the government and enterprises the moral go ahead to start rolling out digital services.

We would also argue it gives carte blanche to the usage of "nudge" services - ie reductions in price, time etc to online users once it is clear people are choosing not to use it.

Should there be accessible training - heck yes - I have been very amused in the various Digital Britain discussion sessions in the last few months about all the people jumping up and down wanting to train "the youth" to use the 'Net (the Yoof of course being quite capable of doing it themselves). Far fewer seemed to want to help older and poorer people, oddly enough

Another little nudge then - no Government funding for "Digital Yoof" programs, but lots for "Digital Excluded" programs

Posted by Alan Patrick in Digital Media Web 2.0 at 12:45 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)

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In 2003-2005 I tried everywhere to get some help for people in rural areas. No college was prepared to provide these courses because we live out in the sticks, so I ran some myself. This got people engaged, and they went on to buy their own equipment and join broadband where they could get a connection. Unfortunately many still can't get a connection so we provide online facilities free in the village for them to use. People won't engage with things they have no interest in. To get them interested you have to let them see benefits. Advertising doesn't work. One solution would be to include good stories in the current soaps. another would be to let local councils and parish councils administer funding to suit local needs. One size won't fit all. A bit of common sense could work wonders in enabling the last few to have the choice. If they then choose not to use it then it is their loss. The main thrust of the digital britain report IMHO must continue to be fixing the infrastructure. Getting 2 meg to rural areas is doing them no favours, what they need is ubiquitous access which can only be provided by fibre. Speed has no bearing. They must get whatever they need and are prepared to pay for. That will bring 3 million homes back into the equation.

#1 cyberdoyle (Homepage) on 2009-06-10 13:59 (Reply)

We need a Wifi Storyline on the Archers then

Re the > 2Mb to all rural areas issue, the bunfight is around who will fund it. One could imagine various local solutions being set up. The cost drops hugely if you can string fibre over poles ratherthan dig streets up.

#2 alan p on 2009-06-10 14:29 (Reply)

It wouldn't hurt to have it on the Archers! good thinking. We did our own fibre dig, just us, the farmers. We joined three properties to a wireless mesh network, so it is possible. We were the first rural mob in the UK to do it. http://www.youtube.com/user/wennetvideo If we can do it then anyone can. It would be so easy if we only had access to BT ducts... and a BT fat pipe. We can but dream.

#2.1 cyberdoyle (Homepage) on 2009-06-10 19:47 (Reply)

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