Digital rights and wrongs

TV has come a long way since its early days

By BBC News Online internet reporter Mark Ward

The UK Government will not bridge the digital divide unless it does more to help consumers meet the cost of getting online, say experts.

There should be co-ordinated strategy for access from the home

Damian Tambini, IPPR

Government policy advisors are calling for the creation of a Universal Service Fund (USF) that will be used to help the poor meet the cost of going online.

They say that without the fund, the right technology, and legislation to make companies do more for the poor, the gap between the have-nets and have-nots will grow.

The advisors also want the government to give people "digital rights" that guarantee everyone access to online services.

Funding furore

The Communications White Paper released in early December set out the government's intentions to ensure that everyone, regardless of their income, gets access to communications services such as the internet and interactive television.

Currently, phone companies are obliged to make telephones universally available, and they all contribute to a fund which helps pay for wiring up people in remote or deprived areas.

As technology develops and it becomes possible to pipe more data through phone lines, the government is thinking about updating the universal service obligations to cover information services.

This includes setting up a fund to reimburse companies helping the poor get online. The white paper suggests that the money for the USF would come from government coffers, company contributions and even an electronic lottery. Currently, acting on advice from Oftel, the government believes such a fund is not necessary.

Rights for all

But Damian Tambini, from the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) and a government advisor on communications policy, says the fund is essential if the target of giving net access to everyone who wants it by 2005 is to be met.

"We've been looking at what might be necessary to ensure the full educational potential of the internet can be enjoyed by all," said Mr Tambini.

He said that without the fund to help subsidise access, the poor would continue to be excluded and would lose out more as greater numbers of government services and departments went online.

Mr Tambini said the government had to make some hard choices about the technology it was backing to give poorer people access to the net.

The government and many local councils favour public kiosks or drop-in centres where people can use the net, but Mr Tambini said more had to be done to provide access at home and to give people the skills and confidence to use it.

Digital TV

The government should consider using digital TV (DTV) as the carrier for interactive services rather than just the internet, and it should use the fund to subsidise the cost of set-top boxes for the poorest people, he said.

"There should be co-ordinated strategy for access from the home," said Mr Tambini. "It should involve an attempt to ensure that DTV can genuinely give access to the net."

Legislation might be needed to force DTV companies to provide access to all of the net rather than just the walled garden some currently provide.

The IPPR, backed by lobby group Citizens Online, wants the "digital rights" of citizens to be recognised by government and ensure that everyone gets basic access to online services.