Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association LIKTA Imants Freibergs, President

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Latvian Information and Communications Technology
AssociationLIKTA Imants Freibergs, President
Challenge Closing the Digital gap May 2005
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UNESCO Recommendation on Universal Access to
Cyberspace

• Member States should recognize and support
  universal access to the Internet as an instrument
  for promoting the realization of the human rights
  as defined in Articles 19 and 27 of the Universal
  Declaration of Human Rights.
• Member States should establish mechanisms to
  facilitate universal access to the Internet
  through affordable telecommunications and
  Internet costs.

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Universal Access to Cyberspace (2)

• New incentives should be designed
• including public-private partnerships to
  encourage investment and
• the lowering of financial barriers to the use of
  ICT, such as taxes and customs duties on
  informatics equipment, software and services.

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Universal Access to Cyberspace (3)

• Member States should promote and facilitate ICT
  literacy, including popularizing and building
  trust in ICT implementation and use.
• The development of human capital for the
  information society, including an open,
  integrated and intercultural education combined
  with skills training in ICT, is of crucial
  importance.
• No one should be excluded from the benefits that
  the Information Society offers (WSIS)

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Universal Public information service

• Public information and knowledge essential for
  citizens being able to function in an information
  society should be readily accessible to all
  without unreasonable barriers of cost, time,
  format, or rules of secrecy
• To bring about an informed participation society
  we need
• enlightened social attitudes (critical mass of
  public opinion)
• corresponding government action
• Peter Brandon, Canada

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Universal Access to Cyberspace Situation in
Latvia(Economically active population 15-74)

• 60 are interested in using Computers and
  Internet
• 54 have used a computer
• 82 of those within the last 6 months
• among the unemployed only 34 have used a
  computer
• Location where computer was used
• At home 51 (25 of population own a home
  computer)
• At work 46
• Reasons for not using a computer
• Have no need for it, no motivation to use 81
• Lack of e-skills 50
• Lack of computer availability 43
• 50 feel that they cannot afford it

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Universal Access to Cyberspace Situation in
Latvia (2)(Economically active population 15-74)

• 40 have used the Internet
• 60 of those within the past week
• Reasons for using Internet
• Searching for information 91
• E-mail 68
• Internet banking 20
• Reasons for not using Internet
• No access to Internet 63
• No need 58
• No usage skills 28
• Cannot afford 24

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Promoting Information Society

• The Information society is a prerequisite for
  sustained economic development of the country
• The success of the development of Information
  society depends upon reaching a critical mass of
  IT literate users

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How to close the digital gap?

• Latvian government initiatives
• Make Universal Public information services
  available by 2008
• Raise Internet usage level to 75 of population
• ...
• Civil society initiatives
• LIKTA project Latvia_at_world
• Train 180 000 new users in small towns and rural
  areas to use Internet services and to make 1000
  public access points (PAP) available

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Objectives of the L_at_W project

• To assist Latvias population in overcoming the
  digital divide and social exclusion
• To promote access to public and private business
  services available on the Internet
• To accelerate the development of Information
  society in remote regions
• LIKTA acts as initiator and catalyst by enlisting
  the resources of the public sector and of private
  industry

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Target audience

• People without any experience in using computers
  and the Internet
• People who have some experience with computers
  but who have never used Internet services, such
  as on-line banking, paying utility bills, or
  e-mail
• The main objective is to promote e-inclusion by
  initiating people to use the Internet who would
  not be doing it normally.

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Target audience (2)

• Mostly SME employees, individual business people,
  small town and country-dwellers
• Other target groups
• Unemployed persons
• People who need retraining
• People with special needs
• Library, school, municipal employees, who need to
  acquire supplemental abilities, at the ECDL level.

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LATVIA_at_WORLD basics

• ICT infrastructure
• Internet content, e-services
• PC and Internet usage skills
• Promotion of Information Society

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1. ICT infrastructure needs

• The ICT infrastructure includes
• Computer hardware, PCs
• Systems and applications software
• Internet connections, browsing software
• Accessibility options
• PAP (public access points in public libraries,
  schools, municipal offices, Internet kiosks,
  etc.)
• PCs and Internet in private householdsProvide
  special packages and favourable conditions for
  acquisition of PCs with Internet access (such as
  tax breaks, special price promotions, reduced
  credit rates, assistance from EU and/or state
  funds, leasing)

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2. Internet content and e-services

• Typical e-services
• electronic banking, bill payments
• electronic communications (e-mail, chat rooms, IP
  telephony)
• Internet browsing for acquisition of information
• public information portals (news, public data
  base inquiries)
• entertainment, games, music
• e-government services (municipal, national)
• tourism offers and reservations (transportation,
  lodgings, attractions)
• e-health services (medical appointments,
  diagnostics)
• e-commerce
• e-culture (encyclopaedias, museums, theatres,
  language skills)
• distance learning
• e-democracy (referenda, elections, opinion polls,
  public discussions)

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3. Computer literacy, e-skills

• Guidelines
• Emphasise practical usage skills of useful
  Internet services, including security aspects
• Train people to use services that are operational
  and available, such as e-banking, e-mail, utility
  bill payments, e-government portals.
• The actual services shown will depend on the
  services offered by the L_at_W project sponsors.

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e-skills levels

• Elementary skills and notions of PC usage and
  communications (8 hours)
• working with files
• editing elementary texts, printing
• Internet usage skills, e-mail
• Emphasis of L_at_W project is at this skills level
• Specialised skills (add later)
• ECDL level proficiency (text editing,
  spreadsheets, data bases, presentations)
• Internet web page construction

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Training schedule

• First phase, pilot project. Train 1000 people
  within 4 months.
• Second phase.Train 9000 people, 6 to 8 month
  period.
• Third phase.Train the remaining target
  population, to reach 180 000 by the year 2008.

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L_at_W sponsors and partners

• Microsoft (Teaching materials localisation,
  licenses)
• Hansabanka (teaching costs, crediting, etc.)
• LMT (teaching costs)
• Telia Latvija (Internet connections)
• Microlink, and others
• EU EQUAL project (employment skills)
• Municipalities (Ventspils, Valmiera, Preili)
• VNA (National employment agency)

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Thank you for your attention!
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