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Digital Divide in Estonia and How to Bridge It

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Digital Divide in Estonia and How to Bridge It Digital Divide In Estonia and How to Bridge It Editors: Mari Kalkun (Emor) Tarmo Kalvet (PRAXIS) Emor and PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies Tallinn 2002 Digital Divide In Estonia and How to Bridge It Editors: Mari Kalkun (Emor) Tarmo Kalvet (PRAXIS) Tallinn 2002 This report was prepared at the order, with funding from and in direct partnership with the Look@World Foundation, the Open Estonia Foundation, and the State Chancellery. Co-financers: The study was co-financed (partial research, pdf-publications, PRAXIS’ Policy Analysis Publications, distribution) by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for the Information for Development Program (infoDev) by a grant to the PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies for ICT Infrastructure and E-Readiness Assessment (Grant # ICT 016). The translation into Russian and English, and publication of the web-version was supported by the Open Society Institute – Budapest. Contractors: © Emor (Chapters III, V, VI, VII; Annexes 2, 3, 4) Ahtri 12, 10151 Tallinn Tel. (372) 6 268 500; www.emor.ee © PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies (Chapters II, IV, VIII) Estonia Ave. 3/5, 10143 Tallinn Tel. (372) 6 409 072; www.praxis.ee © Emor and PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies (Executive Summary, Chapter I) Materials in the current report are subject to unlimited and free use if references to the authors and financers are provided. ISBN: 9985-78-736-6 Layout: Helena Nagel Contents 4 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Mari Kalkun, Tarmo Kalvet, Daimar Liiv, Ülle Pärnoja . 6 1. Objectives of study . 6 2. “Blue collar” individuals and “passive people” are distinguished among non-users of the Internet . 7 3. Main barriers of non-users of the Internet . 9 3.1. Motivational barriers . 9 3.2. Skill barriers . 9 3.3. Access barriers . .10 4. Recommendations . .11 5. Structure of report . .12 PART I: BACKGROUND AND RESULTS OF STUDY . 13 I. INTRODUCTION Mari Kalkun, Tarmo Kalvet . .14 1. Background of study . .14 2. Objectives . .14 3. Methodology . .15 4. Structure of report . .17 II. ESTONIA’S ADAPTATION TO ICT BASED SOCIETY Tarmo Kalvet . .18 1. Change in techno-economic paradigm . .18 2. Estonia in a whirlpool of changes . .21 3. Internet penetration in Estonia: a theoretical background . .24 4. Internet penetration in Estonia . .25 4.1. Influence of Nordic countries . .25 4.2. Telecommunications market and Internet . .26 4.3. Modernisation of the education sector . .28 4.4. Internet based applications . .28 4.5. Public Internet access points . .28 5. Digital divide in Estonia . .30 III. SUMMARY: BARRIERS TO INTERNET USE IN ESTONIA Mari Kalkun . .31 1. Motivational barriers . .31 2. Skill barriers . .32 3. Access barriers . .34 IV. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING INTERNET PENETRATION Tarmo Kalvet ja Daimar Liiv . .35 1. Introduction . .35 2. Motivational barrier . .36 2.1. Nature of barrier and its relation to the groups . .36 2.2. Recommendations for overcoming the motivational barrier . .38 3. Skill barriers . .41 3.1. Nature of barrier and relation to the groups . .41 3.2. Recommendations for overcoming skills barrier . .42 4. Access barrier . .43 4.1. Nature of barrier and relation to the target groups . .43 4.2. Recommendations for overcoming the access barrier . .44 4 Contents 5 PART II: STUDY REPORTS......................................................................................... 47 V. SPECIAL ANALYSIS OF E-TRACK Kristina Randver ......................................................................................................... 48 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................48 2. The number of computer users has remained relatively stable over recent years ..............49 3. There are 591,000 non-users of the Internet ...............................................................51 4. Home computer penetration has rapidly increased over recent years...............................54 VI. FOCUS GROUPS SUMMARY Mari Kalkun ................................................................................................................ 58 1. The Internet is not perceived as a means of seeking information for personal purposes .....58 2. The cell phone is the biggest rival to the Internet as a means of communication in Estonia ...................................................................................................................59 3. Only Internet banking is seen as a virtual partner in the management of affairs ...............59 4. Lack of need as the main reason for non-use of the Internet..........................................60 5. Lack of opportunities and skills are reasons for light use of the Internet ..........................60 6. PIAPs are associated with children and other skilled users .............................................61 VII. STUDY OF VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF NON-USERS OF INTERNET Mari Kalkun .................................................................................................................................. 62 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................62 2. Non-users of the Internet..........................................................................................62 3. Positive qualities of the Internet.................................................................................65 4. Which functions of the Internet would non-users like to use? .........................................67 5. Reasons for not using Internet...................................................................................68 6. How to reach “Passive People”? ................................................................................69 7. How to bring the “Blue Collars” to the Internet? ...........................................................69 8. “Experimenters” will very likely find their way to the Internet themselves ........................71 VIII. ESTONIAN EXPERTS’ VIEW OF THE PROBLEM Andre Krull ................................................................................................................................... 72 1. Assessment of General Developments ........................................................................72 2. Digital Divide in Estonia ...........................................................................................73 3. Recommendations ..................................................................................................76 4. Prognosis of Estonia’s development ...........................................................................78 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 79 ANNEXES ..................................................................................................................82 ANNEX 1: PUBLIC COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPEN ESTONIA FOUNDATION ........................ 83 ANNEX 2: DESCRIPTION OF E-TRACK SPECIAL ANALYSIS METHODS Kristina Randver .......................................................................................................................... 85 1. Sample...................................................................................................................85 2. Fieldwork................................................................................................................86 3. Data processing.......................................................................................................86 4. Confidence limits .....................................................................................................86 ANNEX 3: TABLES OF RISC STUDY OF VALUE ORIENTATIONS Mari Kalkun .................................................................................................................................. 87 ANNEX 4: FOCUS GROUPS REPORT Mari Kalkun .................................................................................................................................. 95 1. Method...................................................................................................................96 2. Results ..................................................................................................................98 Executive Summary 6 Executive Summary 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Mari Kalkun, Tarmo Kalvet, Daimar Liiv, Ülle Pärnoja 1. Objectives of study Digital divide1 is an acute issue when speaking about the development trends of information society both in developed and developing countries. As the present change is a wide-based one that arises from information technology, the task to diminish the size of the population group whose adjustment to the technological change is slower (i.e. the task to bridge the digital divide) has both economic and social implications while it remains the only way to guarantee sustainable development. But if the problems of this group are ignored, a part of the population would effectively be excluded from actively participating in economic activities. This implies a decrease in the number of consumers and lower labour quality for the private sector, and, in the worst-case scenario, the generation of an army of unemployed for the public sector, which in turn may cause extensive social problems. Against the background of Estonia’s rapid developments, less attention has been paid to the digital divide issues, and the initiative of the Look@World Foundation, the Open Estonia Foundation, and the State Chancellery
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