Computers for all

 
Published: Tuesday 15 June 2004

Digital Agenda Initiative Chile

Chile's government has launched a programme which will increase the use of computers and boost the role of information technology (it) in the economy in order to make the country digital by 2010.

The 'digital agenda initiative' aims to establish fast Internet connections in all universities and at least 80 per cent of schools by 2006. The programme will seek to attract foreign investment into the country's technology sector in order to promote it development.

It also includes projects to increase Internet access, improve computer training and develop e-commerce activities. As part of the initiative, Chile's laws and regulations on new technologies will be revised to make each of these goals easier to achieve.

At least one million people will be trained in digital technologies in the next two years. The initiative will reduce the price of computers and broadband services in order to increase the number of homes with Internet access.

Chile has an advanced telecommunications infrastructure, but the extent of computer usage and the development of the it industry are low. A report released earlier this year shows that the it sector represents just 1.2 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

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