{"id":12902,"date":"2018-05-10T16:45:34","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T08:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=12902"},"modified":"2021-06-18T12:08:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T04:08:50","slug":"the-digital-divide-internet-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2018\/05\/the-digital-divide-internet-access\/","title":{"rendered":"The Digital Divide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rural residents and the elderly\u00a0 left behind in Hong Kong\u2019s digital transformation<\/em><\/p>\n

Reporters:\u00a0Erica Li, Sarah Poon, Edith Chung, Valerie Wan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor:\u00a0Yeung Yi<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a non-binding resolution that suggested Internet access is a basic human right. The Internet is no longer seen as a luxury, but a necessity in modern society.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong is one of the most connected cities in the world when it comes to broadband internet, but for those living in Hong Kong\u2019s rural areas it can be a different story. According to statistics from the Legislative Council<\/a>, 21 per cent of households in Hong Kong still did not have Internet access in 2015. Presently, large swathes of the population living in the New Territories and outlying islands either experience patchy services or remain unconnected.<\/p>\n

Following the 2017 Policy Address, preparatory work on the Subsidy Scheme to Extend Optical Fibre Networks to Remote Villages in the New Territories and Outlying Islands<\/a>\u00a0is underway. The scheme will subsidise fixed network operators to extend optical fibre networks to the entrances of villages, while the \u201clast mile\u201d to individual households will be connected by the existing copper wires. Rural villages that only have basic broadband services of below 10 Mbps in nine districts will benefit:<\/p>\n

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The nine districts covered in the subsidy scheme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The plan is scheduled to undergo consultation at the Legislative Council in May 2018. Once it\u2019s approved, Internet service providers will be invited to submit a proposal to the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) for tender. OFCA will consider price attractiveness, construction time, system designs and subsidy amounts as factors in selecting a winning bid. The winning operator is required to share at least half of the network capacity with other service providers. The aim of this \u2018interconnectivity requirement\u2019 is to introduce competition.<\/p>\n

The subsidy scheme will be implemented in phases over the course of five years. In 2021, it is expected to benefit over 300 remote villages and over 170,000 residents living in rural areas and outlying islands.<\/p>\n

Closing the gap for the elderly<\/strong><\/p>\n