Current State of Play

Two Interesting Developments are making news at the moment!

1. A revised Home Computer Initiative has hit the streets.
It takes the form of a mobile unit equipped with a variety of computing equipment, of sufficient range that the average domestic consumer could happily choose from.
Full details are given here of the locations where the HCI Computer Gym hits the road, visiting credit unions around the country.
Visit here to see details of the individual packages. At first glance the prices shown may appear to be on the expensive side but consideration should be given to the associated package of supports, obviously designed to encourage the first time user.

2. National Broadband Scheme
Sometimes referred to as the Rural Broadband Scheme, it is designed to provide broadband services to certain target areas in Ireland in which broadband services are not available and are unlikely to be available in the foreseeable future.
Check here for an update on the current status, which currently states that that a preferred bidder will be selected and appointed in mid 2008.

Not Much Happening!

The main thrust of this blog is in two directions;
One is to promote widespread availability of internet access, particularly to seniors, while the other is to provide suitable training in its use.
What seems to be happening out there is that an unstated recognition exists that, in the same time span that a government initiative would cover, when one considers the usual series of feasibility studies and pilot projects, natural progression is taking over and will achieve the results at zero costs to the exchequer. By this I mean the current IT aware generation will form the elders in that time span.