The story below featured in The Scotsman this morning.
The percentages for Scots online are a wee bit disappointing.
I would however very much agree with the view that "pay as you go" services should be
cheaper for Internet services. I am no longer interested in expensive Internet package
so-called deals.
I currently use a dongle stick on Vodafone with the advantage that I can take it with me
wherever I go and plug into any laptop or computer.
I could not tolerate being without the Internet as I can choose what I want to read about independence for Scotland or the Celtic nations. The printed press does not interest me because of the bias associated with it towards the union.
The Internet is also useful to educate Scottish kids and offers unlimited research capabilities for those studying history or current affairs.
However I must say that I would look forward to improved and more economical "pay as you go" Internet services for Scots.
Larry
Published Date: 17 September 2011
ONLY 61 per cent of people in Scotland are online - the lowest of all four UK nations and well below the UK average of 74 per cent, according to a new report by Consumer Focus Scotland.
In Glasgow, only 50 per cent of householders have broadband and almost half of households earning less than £11,500 a year do not have the internet, compared with only 4 per cent who earn more than £30,000 a year.
The consumer group is calling on
broadband providers to offer vulnerable consumers cheaper "social" tariffs and for a new range of "pay-as-you-go" products to help connect those who cannot afford digital packages.
"Sadly, people in Scotland lag behind other parts of the UK in connection to digital services and many vulnerable people miss out on the best deals online or find it difficult to access the increasing range of public services that are being delivered via the web," said Annie McGovern, digital policy expert at Consumer Focus Scotland.
"The reasons for this include a lack of IT 'know-how' and availability of good broadband speeds, but cost can still be a huge hurdle for many people."
The report, called Scotland's digital needs - paving the way for wider access to digital communications, claimed that access to the internet helps people to engage with the wider world, improve children's education, enable access to cultural and social activities, such as Facebook, and support democratic participation.
The consumer group is calling on
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"Sadly, people in Scotland lag behind other parts of the UK in connection to digital services and many vulnerable people miss out on the best deals online or find it difficult to access the increasing range of public services that are being delivered via the web," said Annie McGovern, digital policy expert at Consumer Focus Scotland.
"The reasons for this include a lack of IT 'know-how' and availability of good broadband speeds, but cost can still be a huge hurdle for many people."
The report, called Scotland's digital needs - paving the way for wider access to digital communications, claimed that access to the internet helps people to engage with the wider world, improve children's education, enable access to cultural and social activities, such as Facebook, and support democratic participation.
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