Digital Britain Report

  1)      What is the purpose of the report?

The purpose of the Digital Britain Report is to check how digital technologies adapt and improve over time. It also works try and improve new technology for the use of other people, always working to make its technological advances easy for the use by general consumers.

2)   What are the 5 main objectives set out by the report?

·         Modernising and upgrading our wired, wireless and broadcasting infrastructure to sustain Britain’s position as a leading Digital Economy.

·         Securing a range of high quality public service content, particularly in news.

·         Providing a favourable climate and innovation in digital content, applications and services.

·         Developing the nation’s digital skills at all levels.

·         Securing universal access to broadband, increasing its take-up and using broadband to deliver more public services more efficiently and effectively.

3)  What are the 7 main achievements that the report highlights?

·         An analysis of the levels of digital participation, skills and access needed for the digital future, with a plan for increasing participation, and more coherent public structures to deal with it.

·         An analysis of our communications infrastructure and capabilities, an identification of the gaps and recommendations on how to fill them.

·         A statement of ambition for the future growth of our creative industries, proposals for a legal and regulatory framework for intellectual property in a digital world, proposals on skills and a recognition of the need for investment support and innovation.

·         A restatement of the need for specific market intervention in the UK content market, and what that will demand of the BBC and its role in digital Britain. What that means for the future of the C4 Corporation. An analysis of the importance of other forms of independent and suitably funded news, and what clarification and changes are needed to the existing framework.

·         An analysis of the skills, research and training markets, and what supply side issues need addressing for a fully functioning digital economy.

·         A framework for digital security and digital safety at the international and national levels and recognition that in a world of high speed connectivity we need a digital framework not an analogue one.

·         A review of what all of this means for the Government and how digital governance in the information age demands new structures, new safeguards, and new data management, access and transparency rules.

4)     What were the Governments targets by 2012?

·         Deliver the Universal Service Broadband Commitment at 2Mbps (in more than one in ten households)

·         Public support for the network, so customers in the Final Third, who can’t be reached by the market, can enjoy next generation broadband.

5)      What examples does it outline that the internet is useful for other than social networking?

·         Communication

·         Self-Publishing

·         Job Applications

·         Online Banking

·         Online Shopping

·         Health Services

6)       What is the fundamental reason for improving Digital Media in Britain?

Building a Digital Knowledge Economy

7)         How does the digital sector in Britain compare to other countries?

It says that the digital communications through network are getting much better in other countries than Britain, eg) countries around the Pacific Rim are adopting next generation networks. Elsewhere in Europe, Germany, France and Finland they have all adopted national broadband or wider digital strategies.

8)    Indicate some of the negative factors for people not accessing the internet.

·         They are unable to access some information.

·         People without the internet are expected to be at a considerable disadvantage. This is because people expect that more vital services will be delivered solely online in the future, or be provided offline in a way that penalises people who access them in this way, perhaps at a higher cost or lower quality. It is expected that people could lose access to a wide range of services and activities: shopping, banking, school work, public services, and downloading TV content.

·         There’s less access available to entertainment.

9)        What percentages of jobs require digital skills?

90%

10)      How many people in Britain still do not use the internet? What were some of the main reasons for people still not using the internet?

15 million adults

·         Financial/ resource exclusion such as can’t afford or no computer accounted for 30% and the remaining 18% intended to get internet access at home within the next six months. This evidence suggested a strong correlation between experience of the internet and the intention to receive it at home – 72% of this group were internet users outside of home.

·         42% of people interviewed were willing to pay something for an internet connection, 13% would get it if they could get a free internet connection and a computer, but 43% would not get it even if both were free and said that it was irrelevant to their lives.

·         Within the 30% of those in the financial/ resource exclusion group, two subgroups were identified – 26% were those whose main reason related to costs or equipment and 4% were those who said they did not have the knowledge or skills. 55% of those who cite cost live in social category D/E homes.

·         Awareness of the internet has widespread with only 3% of respondents saying they have never heard of it. Use outside the home also varied widely: 32% of respondents used the internet outside of home; 24% were non-users with indirect access via family or friends carrying out tasks on the internet on their behalf; and 43% were non-users without access either directly or indirectly.

·         Within the self-excursion group, two subgroups were identified: 37% for whom the internet was not of interest and 5% who said they did not need it at home because they were happy with the access they had. Respondents who said they were indifferent tended to be older and did not use the internet.

11)   Indicate 6 positive factors of increasing digital participation in Britain?

·         Online Shopping

·         Wider access to entertainment

·         Better access to television.

·         Better control over under-age children

·         Easier to do school/general work at home

12)   Give some examples of how you think improving access to broadband to all homes will vastly improve people’s lives.

I think that having the internet accessible in every household gives potential to students that come from a lower social category to have a better education, I think it could also prevent students being teased for not accessing the internet as plenty of students speak about videos on YouTube for example and if someone didn’t have access then they would feel outcast. Another advantage of having the internet available to households is that it could introduce people to job opportunities, it could improve awareness about embarrassing situations as e-mail is available and online healthcare, I think that it would make people much more open minded to technology as a whole if broadband was introduced to every household. However I think this providing the access is used correctly and not for illegal reasons as the internet plays a role in plenty of crime.