Bridging the gap: examples of initiatives

There have been and still are various initiatives to bridge the gap sponsored by the national government, local government, private industry and charities. The following blog post will show you a range of different initiatives in this area in the UK:

Uk Online
UK Online is a major government project which was started in 2001, its aim being to give computer access to people in the community and to help them learn new ICT skills. Nowadays, there are over 6,000 UK Online Centres which can be found in libraries, community centres and schools.

University for Industry (Ufi)
The University for Industry is a partnership between the government and private industry, aimed at improving job prospects for individuals and boosting competitiveness for businesses through the use of Learn Direct centres. Working as a public-private partnership in England, Wales and Northern-Ireland, the University for Industry aims to put individuals in a better position to get jobs, boost business competitiveness and to improve their career prospects.

Learn Direct
Learn Direct is aimed at teaching adults how to use ICT, in schools, libraries and colleges.

British Educational Communication and Technology Association (BECTA)

The BECTA was set up with the aim of helping to educatme professional, including teachers - BECTA wanted to help professionals make the most of ICT.

Wired up Communities initiative
£10 million of funding was provided in the Wired up Communities initiative to connect seven disadvantaged communities to the internet to test what impact this would have on their lives. One of these was Newham in East London, where just 750 households and one primary school were connected to the internet. The aim of the initiative was to improve educational standards and increase job opportunities for the socially excluded.

Computers within Reach
Computers within Reach was a £15 million initiative aimed at helping learners on benefits be improving their employment prospects and learning opportunities through providing access to computers.

Get Started campaign
"Get Started" was a six-week campaign which ended in June 2003, aiming to give a "kick start" to access for "the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled and other disadvantaged groups", showing them the benefits they could get from accessing IT.

Community Access to Lifelong Learning (CALL)
CALL is a £200m program to enable "schools, libraries and other lifelong learning institutions" to become connected to the internet, and to provide access to all groups within society, with the hope of providing particular benefits to socially excluded people who otherwise have less access to online learning opportunities.

These will all be effective at bridging the gap caused by the digital divide because they all allow more people to access the internet who would not have been able to do so without these initiatives.
                                                                                                                                                                

Activity 5 - Research initiatives to fund the digital divide:
I have chosen to research the UK Online initiative.
What is its purpose?
Tony Blair said: "I am determined that by 2005 at the latest all government services will be online. The whole shape of our economy will be changed by this new technology, that's why UK Online is so vital."
How does it relate to the digital divide?
If all government services are online, the public will be able to access them which will mean they are given new information which they can be educated with.
Who are its main target clients?
Its main target clients are small businesses since £15m of the funding was allocated to them, and poorer communities were set up with 600 online centres so that they could have internet access.
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths:

•  If people have an interest and a computer/access to a computer, the service will be used successfully.
• It is 24/7 and is much cheaper than having manned phone lines and offices, etc.

Weaknesses:

• If people have no computer or no interest then the service won't be used - it wouldn't matter whether they were all online or not - if they aren't used then they are useless.
• If the services are not robust, resilient or accessible then they will also not be used successfully.   

What improvements could be made?

It would only work hand-in-hand if there were programmes to improve ownership and access to computers - otherwise the service will not be used.
                                                                                                                                                               

People's Network Project (Hertfordshire)
This is a local initiative designed to give free access to more than 400 computers with internet connection. Microsoft Office software, desktop publishing, photo editing and a variety of information resources in libraries in Hertfordshire.
"Even the smallest of our libraries has at least one computer for people to use," said county councillor Iris Tarry. "This offers everyone opportunities to get online, whether they are looking for information, putting together a CV, studying, or using email to keep in touch with friends." (Source: Hertfordshire County Council).

Activity 6 - Research your local community ICT access
Location: Bedfordshire

Disadvantaged groups who could benefit most from having more access to digital technologies:

• Poorer communties
• The elderly
• Rural residents

What is the impact of the current digital divide?

• Many rural residents suffer from slow broadband connection, (link here).

To what extent are disadvantaged groups served by initiatives?  

• Rural residents and others with slow broadband connection can solve this problem with the Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat's initiative - Ward Councillor Sarah-Jayne Holland said: "I encourage all residents who have problems with their internet connection to contact their service provider to make sure the message gets through that this cannot be allowed to continue. Residents in Shortstown should be every bit as able to work from home, run businesses or use the internet for simple routine tasks without being restricted by a painfully slow and unreliable connection. I will be conducting a survey and passing on the results to BT to show them the extent of the problems for local residents, and will press for action to be taken" - if this problem is addressed by BT, the initiative will have been effective.

                                                                                                                                                               

Activity 7 - Investigate ICT at your library
What does your local library do to enable the community to have internet access?

•  Computers are provided, allowing the community to access the internet.

Why and how is internet access used at the library? 

• Internet access is used to allow the community to educate and inform themselves if they do not have a computer at home / wish to use one while they are out.
• It is provided for free - the user is given access to free internet access and free access to software.

How convenient is it and what, if any, impact has it made on library life?

• There are only two computers in my local library with a time limit - it is a first-come-first-served basis which would mean limited access at busy periods.
• The two computers have encouraged people who may not otherwise have visited the library just to look for books to go there.

                                                                                                                                                               

BT Internet Rangers
The Internet Rangers is a British Telecom project to help overcome the barriers to using the internet for technically illiterate parents and grandparents - using their children and grandchildren to help and encourage them. (Source: "Kids key to closing the digital divide" by Graeme Wearden).

Rural Broadband cooperative initiative
In January 2004, the Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael launched the Community Broadband Network at the Access to Broadband Campaign Conference. The aim is to encourage rural communities to help themselves obtain access to broadband technologies, and to provide community websites.
There are three standards to this:

• Organise the expertise to support local initiatives using the UK Online Direct Support system.
• Helping with financial and administrative back-office services.
• Working with the community broadband sector as a pressure group.  

These will both be effective because it will allow more people to access the internet, further closing the digital divide.
                                                                                                                                                               

Activity 8 - Find out about WLANs
Where are these projects mainly located?
Many major cities, (e.g. New York).
Why have they been created?
To give users mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to a network - two or more devices and linked using some wireless distribution method, (typically spread-spectrum or OFDM radio).
What groups do they serve and in what way?
They serve many homes and commercial complexes, offering wireless access to their customers, often for free.
Have they, and/or will they have, any impact on the digital divide?
This will impact the digital divide as it will allow many more people to access the internet.