Report of the round table organized within the framework of the World eDemocracy Forum, October 3rd, 2007: after a global introduction by David FAYON, presenting the digital gap (more than 80% of the population isn’t connected to the Internet), the contrasts between the populations (rural / urban, socioprofessional categories, age, country) and the challenges of its decrease - notably for the economic growth and the well-being of citizens - Marie-Christine SERVANT introduced the public institution Caisse des Dépôts and its activities in the digital development.
She first mentioned the multiple challenges: economic (access to employment through Internet), social and cultural (access to knowledge and information) and the modernization of public services (reconsider the public services access for citizens). She also said that the switchover of technologies from high-speed (xDSL) to very high-speed (FTTH) could intensify the digital gap because 50% of the population would be covered at best in 2012. The growth in utilization does indeed require infrastructure of quality. In this context, the 3 axes (infrastructure, services and practices) are to be carried out in parallel. In conclusion, while showing the need for appropriation by all uses, she brought up of the e-learning projects, e-addiction and e-health.
Vincent DESCOEUR, Chairman of the General Council of Cantal and deputy, drew up actions carried in his department. He referred to the impacts of the Web on the administration and new uses that follow from it. A big challenge for his department is to have a positive net migration to avoid the exodus out of Cantal. Also the issue of teleworking, for example, is crucial (with the establishment of a departmental network CyberCantal Telecentres). He noted that the coverage in terms of ADSL wasn’t optimal with areas of shadows. He mentioned collaboration with the region of Auvergne and digital public spaces. The choice of practices has been carried out for example with the experience of Wifi. One challenge is to avoid binding distances. In this way, teleprocess online on the website of the General Council offer new services to run when users gain access to the tools. The issue of infrastructure is essential, the department is working on the high and very high speed with solutions to develop.
Jean ILBOUDO, showed us the barriers of access to technologies in an African country, Burkina Faso and particularly in its capital Ouagadougou. These barriers are numerous: illiteracy populations even before unfamiliarity with the technologies and its uses, prohibitive cost of materials for a large majority, rural areas without electricity whose computer is tributary, lack of training, and so on. Mr. ILBOUDO described us the actions carried by Ouagadougou in the struggle for digital exclusion: construction of 6 multimedia centres to facilitate access to NTIC at a social price, hardware equipment in municipal services, computers received through cooperation, digital City project to come. He mentioned that the private sector with the creation of Internet cafes had also played an important role. In this context, the "100 dollars" computer could be a lever to battle against the digital gap.
Rodolphe CHAUVELIER, President of Mayenne Point Org introduced us his association which works specifically for the development of the Internet and NTIC in Mayenne, a rather rural department. The actions that are based on voluntary work are multiple: training for tools and supporting adults in the learning of NTIC, creating CDs for free softwares, nomad cybercentres, contacts close to persons involved in the department so that the development of NTIC is better understood, developing a thematic directory for websites of Mayenne, investigations on the use of e-mail by elected representatives, and so on. He believes that civil society has a role to play.
Dr. György CSEPELI, Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Economy in Hungary, showed us how Hungary carried out an effective e-government policy. After the presentation of the main lines of the policy of his country, he mentioned among others the organization of "grandparent grandchild informatics competitions," which bring down generational barriers, "IT mentors” to help in the appropriation of NTIC, Wifi villages, digital schools.
Jean POULY new Director of the Digital Solidarity world-wide Agency after having worked for the program of Lyon for the Information Society presented us, first of all, the agency, based in Lyon and which has a mandate referring to the global summits of Information Society (SMSI) in Bilbao, Geneva and Tunis. According to him, the digital develops within a territory and is a tool for the development service. The city allows a decentralized cooperation, in which telecentre projects can be conducted. The project of digital cooperation “connect the world" (public/private consortium) has been dealt with applications in the fields of e-administration, e-health with telediagnosis and e-learning. The agency attaches importance to uses, contents, trainings and equipments, not to infrastructure.
- Download MC Servant presentation (Caisse des Depots)
- Download Dr Csepeli presentation (Hungary)
- Download JC Ilboudo presentation (Ouagadougou)
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