The need for cheap computers to boost development in poor nations is a familiar theme reflected in campaigns such as the ‘One Laptop Per Child' scheme. The British government now aims to bridge the digital divide at home with its own cheap PC and Internet scheme.

Around nine million adults in the UK have never used the Internet - that's 18 percent of the adult population. The vast majority of those are over 65, the unemployed or people with disabilities.

The woman charged with bringing them into the digital fold is Martha Lane Fox - formerly of Lastminute.com and now the British government's so-called ‘digital champion.' She is also the government's campaigner for the Race Online 2012 initiative, which aims to make the UK the first nation in the world where everyone can use the web.

“It wasn't until I was asked to take on this fantastic role as the UK digital champion that I began to understand about the scale of the divide between those people, like me, who use the Internet not just everyday, but all the time for their working life, and those people who've never been online before," Lane Fox said at a conference in May.

Lowering barriers to computing

That group usually involves older or poorer people who often struggle with the upfront costs of a computer. Lane Fox hopes the low price tag will help attract those who had previously considered getting online as too expensive.

To qualify for the 92-pound package, British citizens need to be claiming some kind of government benefits - for example income support or disability allowance.

The PCs will run open-source software such as the Ubuntu operating system which is free to use. A Windows machine will cost three pounds extra. A mobile broadband dongle costs an extra 10 pounds for one month's surfing.

The 92-pound price tag includes a monitor, keyboard and a telephone helpline. The digital inclusion initiative is backed by several commercial partners.

“Three of our partners - Microsoft, XMA, and Remploy - have worked hard to get computer packages for under 100 pounds,” Lane Fox said. “That includes broadband, it includes support, you can even call a telephone line to see how to get your computer set up.”

Recycling computers to close the digital gap

One reason why the computers are so cheap is that they're refurbished versions of old PCs.

At a factory in Porth in South Wales, the Remploy firm turns around PCs for resale.

“You have to remember that most of the units we receive are now three years old. And the market at that point is such that the price point has dropped significantly,” John Busby, Remploy's Remarketing Manager told Deutsche Welle.

“When we're selling to the trade we sell the base units as they are. But when we're selling to Race Online, we have to provide a keyboard and a mouse, which are brand new; we have to install the software back onto to it.”

Busby admits that though the computers aren't the fastest – some of them packaged with the older Windows XP operating system – they suffice for basic Internet surfing.

“At that age - three years old – you're not going to be able to play the latest games. It isn't about that. But if you're looking to get onto the Internet, if you're looking to do typing, what most of us do, then these machines are perfect,” Busby said.

Raising awareness

Race Online isn't just about providing cheap hardware - the initiative works with job centers and unions to raise awareness of the benefits of Internet use. It relies on thousands of Internet-savvy volunteers to pass their skills on to less confident surfers.

It's similar to a ‘Get Online Week' campaign organized by the European Union earlier this year across 30 European countries.

The British campaign also works together with UK Online Centres - a network of nearly 4,000 community centers which include beginners Internet courses for adults.

Experts say most people who attend the courses want to learn how to find things on the Internet, how to use email or how to shop online.

Helen Milner, chief executive of UK Online Centres, says there are huge payoffs for people attending the courses.

“Sometimes I think we should say we're the ‘try before you buy' network, because once they actually realize how amazing the Internet is then they want to buy one and have it home and use it every day,” Millner said.

Signs of progress

UK Online Centres believe nearly 500,000 more people have come online since 2010, with that number going up all the time - so the Race Online initiative is certainly making progress.

Compared to the rest of Europe, Britain is doing pretty well: 80 percent of UK households have Internet at home, compared to an EU average of 70 percent with four countries - Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Portugal - at less than 50 percent.

To put these figures into a global context however, in less developed nations, just 2.5 percent of people have Internet access - a sure sign that although the digital divide is a national issue, it is surely a global priority.

Author: Robin Powell, London (sp)
Editor: Stuart Tiffen