broadband strategies handbook.pdf - Khazar University

Figure 6.1 The Three Pillars of Facilitating Broadband DemandAwarenessAffordability• Encourage use of education in schools to promote digital literacy• Encourage and train small and medium enterprises on thebenefits of broadband• Provide training on security and privacy• Support secure e-transactions• Lower user terminal service costs by reducing importduties and other taxes or through targeted subsidies• Provide broadband equipment to educational institutionsat cost or via subsidiesAttractiveness• Support local, relevant internet content in local languages• Create e-government and other e-applications (such as forhealth, education, and agriculture)Source: World Bank.AwarenessAwareness of the benefits of broadband and the capability to use broadbandare critical first steps in building demand for broadband services. Inorder for people to use broadband successfully, they must have the necessaryinterest and competency. This is sometimes referred to as digital literacy,which has been defined as “using digital technology, communicationstools, and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and createinformation in order to function in a knowledge society” (EducationalTesting Service 2002). Digital literacy ideally makes users aware of andcapable of accessing broadband applications and services. This, in turn,widens the information available to them, provides new ways of learning,and creates new employment opportunities.There is a spectrum of digital skills that increase in complexity as usersgain expertise. Therefore, competency in information and communicationtechnology (ICT) skills can range from a basic understanding, whichenables users to access information using broadband, to deeper technicalknowledge, which enables them to create and disseminate their own information,including new applications and services. This is acknowledged indefinitions of the different stages of digital literacy (figure 6.2).People learn digital literacy skills in various ways and institutionalsettings. These range from watching friends, to being taught in schools,Driving Demand for Broadband Networks and Services 249