The Avanza Plan has mobilized 456 million in 2006-2007 to incorporate citizens into the Information Society

"The Broadband Extension Program will have brought 8.327.000 people into broadband by the end of the first half of 2008."

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The Director General for Development of the Society de information, David CiercoHe explained today that the Avanza Plan has mobilized 456 million euros in the 2006-2007 period for the inclusion of all citizens in the Society de information, through its Digital Citizenship line of action.

 

During the presentation of the Fundetec Canal TEC project, Cierco indicated that the actions to promote and revitalize, which aim to provide technological training to citizens, have had funds exceeding 96 million euros in 2006 and 2007.

 

In addition, €330 million has been allocated for 0% interest loans for the purchase of IT equipment and connectivity. Finally, initiatives promoting inclusion, aimed at the elderly and people with disabilities, and fostering gender equality in the Society de informationThey have mobilized funds of 29 million euros.

 

In total, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade has approved 153 projects within Digital Citizenship in 2006-2007, in the areas of promotion and revitalization, gender, the elderly, the disabled, children, immigrants and other groups.

 

The Director General for Development of the Society de information He also referred to the Extension Program of the Band WideBy the end of 2007, this technology will have reached more than 7 million people. By the end of the first half of 2008, the program will have connected 8.327.000 people to broadband. At that time, broadband coverage will reach 99,1% of the population, the highest in Europe. The funds mobilized in collaboration with the program's winning operators amount to €162 million. Another initiative aimed at connecting rural and isolated areas, the call for revitalization projects, mobilized €18,2 million in 2006-2007.

                                                                   

Cierco highlighted that the Canal TEC program is "a tangible example" of the Avanza Plan, the program to boost the Society de information The Government, which has a budget allocation exceeding 5.700 billion euros.

The main novelty of this plan is its desire to reach every individual and legal entity, a capillary effort carried out in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities, Local Entities and non-profit associations.

 

TEC Channel

 

Fundetec has launched, in collaboration with the company Canal Empresarial, an interactive online training project to promote the use of Information Technologies information y the communication (ICT) among groups with limited access to these technologies, lack of training, or are unaware of the benefits they can bring to their daily lives. The project, called Canal TEC, is part of the Avanza Plan, and its implementation was awarded to Fundetec by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade.

 

From now until the end of 2008, 3.000 training courses will be available from any computer with an ADSL connection. The project will focus on rural areas of Spain, and Fundetec has therefore established contact with the Autonomous Communities of Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, and Cantabria, which will implement it in the telecenters of their respective territories. The first location to begin offering this training via the Internet was the province of Huesca, specifically at the telecenter in the town of Altorricón, with the support of the Provincial Council from Huesca, where a pilot project has been carried out. 

 

Canal Empresarial has developed the technological platform used to deliver Canal TEC content, which can be accessed from any telecenter. These telecenters offer citizens the opportunity to take online courses on various ICT-related topics, with the possibility of later expanding their knowledge to other areas. The courses currently offered are: basic ICT terminology (digital literacy); effective use of the Internet; digital certificates, e-ID cards, and electronic invoicing; and virtual offices, including procedures with the Public Administration.

 

The Foundation Fundetec, the Foundation for the Information Technology Development of Businesses and Society, is a non-profit, open, and mixed foundation comprised of trustees from the public sector (Red.es, an entity under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade) and the private sector (El Corte Inglés, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Telefónica, Caja Madrid, Panda Software, and Sun Microsystems). Its main objective is to contribute to the promotion of the Information Society in Spain by developing initiatives that facilitate access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for citizens, businesses, and institutions.