UK To Offer PCs For £98, Subsidized Internet Connections 224
Sam writes "The UK government wants to offer low-cost computers as part of a 12-month trial during Race Online 2012. The scheme, which aims to reach out to the 9.2 million adults that are not yet online, 4 million of whom are considered socially and economically disadvantaged, aims to 'make the UK the first nation in the world where everyone can use the web.' Prices will start at £98 ($156.01) for a refurbished PC, with subsidized Internet connections available for as little as £9 ($14.33) a month or £18 ($28.65) for three months. The cheap computers will run open-source software (think Linux) and will include a flat-screen monitor, keyboard, mouse, dedicated telephone helpline, delivery, and even a warranty. The cheap Internet packages will use a mobile dongle to help people access the web."
Institutionalizing poverty (Score:0, Informative)
Nothing like keeping the herd docile, eh?
Ben Franklin:
No doubt the US will be right behind.
Re:Wow (Score:2, Informative)
laugh all you want, but here in holland, most cities give people who are on government support 400 euros every so many years to buy a new TV, because god knows there is no way those people could survive without a 32 inch flatscreen!
I am all for stuff like universal healthcare, but things like this makes me feel like im living in commie country..
Re:Nice idea but... (Score:5, Informative)
What do you mean by "underused"? Not everyone has to be online every waking hour.
Example problem: The person needs to buy something.
Typical Slashdot reader solution: Go online, compare prices, find the cheapest, place an order.
Typical solution from someone in the target demographic: Go to local shops (possibly paying bus / or tube fare), look in a few shops, buy one, take it home.
End result: Slashdot reader pays somewhere between 10-50% less and has more free time.
The point of this is not that everyone should have Internet access because we think the Internet is cool, it's that being online can save you money. The number that they are quoting is an average annual saving of £537. But you only make that saving if you actually use the Internet. Just having access doesn't magically make you that much richer each year. Giving people computers and Internet access without the relevant training to go with them is just a waste of time.
Re:Some people don't want to go online (Score:4, Informative)
Try reading TFA. They claim that being online can save an average of over £500 per year. This includes online shopping, paying utility bills online, and so on. A person on minimum wage takes home about £10K/year. Being online saves them about 5% of their income, which works out as a massive increase in their disposable income. If people don't want to do this, that's fine and no one is forcing them to.
You missed that this is about the UK. If you are on minimum wage, you won't qualify for any of these things that are for the "poor and needy". You have to be unemployed. In the UK, moving from unemployment to minimum wage means you lose your benefit income, which is tax free, and get an income from employment which can be less, and you have to pay tax on it. So you have less money, and then you will notice that your kids will have to pay for a school trip, while your neighbour who was clever enough not to get a job will have his kids going for free. You will also not get one of these free computers, while your unemployed neighbour will.
Re:Internet not very cheap (Score:5, Informative)
It's a bit dishonest to try and factor in BT's line rental, because so few people, even the poorest in society don't have an existing line of some sort
Absolutely untrue. In my age group, almost no one has a landline because mobiles are much cheaper. Even relatively heavy users spend about £10 on prepay topups, while I pay about £2. Having a landline does not make economic sense. For poorer people, it's even more of a problem because they have to pay a large fee (£50 or so) to be connected in the first place. If they're moving house between different low-cost rented accommodation frequently, they don't bother with a landline. A mobile phone can be had very cheaply and, if you mainly need it for incoming calls (i.e. people who might offer you a job) costs next to nothing to operate.
this seems more targetted at the folks who simply aren't interested in the internet
No, it's targeted at people who can't afford the Internet. Read their documentation - they claim that being online saves an average of £537/year and that this is most important for people with a very low income, who typically can't afford the up-front capital cost of getting online. They are people who are often moving quite often to look for work, so can't afford any kind of Internet access that has an installation fee or requires a long contract in the same dwelling.
Re:Nice idea but... (Score:4, Informative)
online shopping is typically exactly the same price as retail for groceries in the UK
Not exactly. I do my grocery shopping online with Tesco. It costs £3.50 to have them deliver it to my house. A return trip to the nearest supermarket on the bus is a bit less than that from here, but I'm quite close to the city centre. From my old house, it cost slightly more than £3.50. From anywhere on the outskirts of town, it costs more. Even if the items are the same price, it's cheaper overall. If you're buying more than a small amount, people often get a taxi home because carrying half a dozen bags on the bus is not exactly easy, and that adds more cost. If you've got children, you may need to take them with you, which adds even more to the cost.
Beyond that, the online shop makes it much easier to compare prices and see discounts. You can easily see what things are on special offer. If you've got a bit of money spare, you can save a lot by buying nonperishables on offer. I never pay more than half price for the shampoo that I use, because I always get about six months supply when its discounted. You can do this in the shop, but it's a lot more effort.
And there are more categories than 'luxury items' and 'groceries'. For example, books are much cheaper online, especially the kind of educational books that someone wanting to acquire new skills to get a better job will want to buy. I just bought some baking trays and other kitchen things - not really luxuries, but (even including delivery) they were about half the price online of any local retailer.
Add to this, I get a discount from utility suppliers by paying my bills online, and so on.
Re:Some people don't want to go online (Score:5, Informative)
A lot of that is incorrect. You do lose certain benefits by entering employment (housing benefit and council tax benefit being the most significant two) but those on minimum wage will receive working tax credit and possibly child tax credit too.
I don't know how this varies around the country, but the school my children attend (which is in a deprived area) subsidise the school trips and eligibility for school dinners (and many other subsidies) relies not on employment status, but whether you receive a higher rate of tax credits.
Re:Some people don't want to go online (Score:3, Informative)