The primary premise of the “Be Fair – the Internet as a Common Good” project is to reduce digital exclusion in the city. One of the project’s aims is to narrow disparities in access to modern information technologies. Thanks to support provided under the project, Bolesławiec residents experiencing digital exclusion will significantly improve their chances of fuller participation in social and economic life.
The two hundred families participating in the project will receive, on a loan basis, a computer set with basic software and Internet access. In addition, two people from each family will take part in training on the basics of computer use and Internet access. The recruitment of families was conducted by the Municipal Social Welfare Centre in Bolesławiec among residents receiving social welfare benefits.
In August, the cleanup work following the construction of the fibre-optic line in the city was completed. The investment is being carried out as part of the “Be Fair – the Internet as a Common Good” project. As part of the investment, approximately 15 km of microducting was built, in which approximately 15.4 km of fibre-optic cables were installed. The work was carried out by HAWE Budownictwo from Legnica. The cost of constructing the passive component was PLN 2,119,000.
The next step is to purchase network equipment. UM is currently preparing a procurement procedure for computer equipment for the final beneficiaries and for training beneficiaries in the use of computers, applications and the Internet.
As a result, in October the entire network should already be fully operational, and all eligible beneficiaries should have computer equipment with Internet access. Training for beneficiaries will be conducted by then.
It is worth recalling that a meeting with potential beneficiaries took place in December 2012. A very large group of people interested in the “Be Fair – the Internet as a Common Good” project attended the meeting. The project is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Innovative Economy Operational Programme. The total value of the project amounts to PLN 7,384,169, including PLN 6,953,003 in funding from the Innovative Economy Operational Programme.
Families whose computer set, according to the assessment of MOPS social workers, could be destroyed, damaged or used contrary to its intended purpose cannot be included in the project. The project is scheduled to end at the end of 2015.
(information: UM)