£98 PCs could help to bridge the digital divide

It has been reported that a new scheme will enable low income British families to get their hands on a PC and peripherals for just ninety eight pounds, which the government believes could help to bridge the digital divide.

Whilst broadband take up and internet access is fairly high across the UK, with many households now having a PC or laptop with access to a broadband connection, there are also many lower income families that do not have broadband or internet access and cannot even afford to get a PC or laptop for the home.

For the households that do not have PCs and broadband there are many disadvantages in terms of their finances, job opportunities, socializing, communications, education, and more, as the Internet has become invaluable for all of these things over recent years. This puts households with no PC or broadband at a real disadvantage compared to those that have regular access.

However, the government is now hoping that a new scheme will help to bridge this digital divide, and help to make computers and broadband more accessible and affordable to lower income families. The scheme is launched this week, and will enable lower income families to get a flat screen monitor, PC, and peripherals for just ninety eight pounds. This forms part of the Race Online 2012 project, where the aim is to get all adults online by the time the London Olympics comes around.

Martha Lane Fox, the government’s digital champion, said: “We have an opportunity here in the UK to make sure we are achieving internet skills and usage as high as TV usage. We should be using our old computers and refurbishing them to close the gap in this country.”

The scheme will start as a trial phase, and will offer those eligible to choose from a number of hardware options to suit their needs. Officials involved are still trying to determine the best way of targeting the right demographic for the scheme, but have said that the affordability of the PC bundle could make a huge difference to the ability of many households to enjoy the benefits of getting online.

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Source – ZDNet