An 'all-inclusive digital society'
It is that woman Reding up to her tricks. Again. She is not at all happy that some folk are just not interested in the internet:
"Only 10% of people aged over 64 are Internet users while the average in Europe is 47%. Without further intervention, the gap will only be halved in 2015 instead of 2010. The latest assessments conducted for the Commission show that accessibility of websites, communication terminals, TV sets and other ICT remains problematic, with lower-educated, economically inactive and elderly people at the greatest risk of being left behind".
This, bear in mind is a technology that only went mainstream - in this country at least - about 10 years ago, so the take up is pretty impressive. Note also that the EU-27 includes pretty underdeveloped places like Bulgaria. As a case in point, the first radio stations opened just after WW1, and Tonga would not appear to have got one until 1960.
Perhaps the most spectacularly stupid element of EU policy on matters digital is the wish to make broadband available for *all*. Methinks they have no understanding of the technology at all, and Dizzy's post on the EU's desire for overnight ISP switching makes that abundantly clear.
Anyway, that villainous 90% of late / non-adopters? Are they to be chivvied into going to the library to log on, or maybe have ISP subscriptions deducted from their bank accounts in order to compel them to have access? (even if they choose not to use it?). From family experience (hello Mum) I know that folk falling into that demographic will get internet access if they consider it worth having, but it ill-behoves the Commissar to insist that people /should/ have it.
"Only 10% of people aged over 64 are Internet users while the average in Europe is 47%. Without further intervention, the gap will only be halved in 2015 instead of 2010. The latest assessments conducted for the Commission show that accessibility of websites, communication terminals, TV sets and other ICT remains problematic, with lower-educated, economically inactive and elderly people at the greatest risk of being left behind".
This, bear in mind is a technology that only went mainstream - in this country at least - about 10 years ago, so the take up is pretty impressive. Note also that the EU-27 includes pretty underdeveloped places like Bulgaria. As a case in point, the first radio stations opened just after WW1, and Tonga would not appear to have got one until 1960.
Perhaps the most spectacularly stupid element of EU policy on matters digital is the wish to make broadband available for *all*. Methinks they have no understanding of the technology at all, and Dizzy's post on the EU's desire for overnight ISP switching makes that abundantly clear.
Anyway, that villainous 90% of late / non-adopters? Are they to be chivvied into going to the library to log on, or maybe have ISP subscriptions deducted from their bank accounts in order to compel them to have access? (even if they choose not to use it?). From family experience (hello Mum) I know that folk falling into that demographic will get internet access if they consider it worth having, but it ill-behoves the Commissar to insist that people /should/ have it.
Labels: EU fun and games, Internet, Reding
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on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 12:32 pm.
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