If a person wishes to communicate with another on-line, as a minimum requirement they will need an e-mail address to facilitate the transfer of their electronic communiqué and to receive any responses arising from their actions.

With approximately 50% of households in the UK without Internet access at home, a vast proportion of the population will not meet this very basic requirement to utilise the Internet. Thus those not being able to use the Internet directly dilute the efforts of businesses, government (both local and national) and other enterprises in placing their services on-line for the public to use.

Included in this proportion of the population not using the Internet are many community groups as a whole and also individual members of community groups. If we can enable these communities to represent themselves on-line and be included in the Internet revolution as a group of individuals, then the Digital Divide will decrease. This will enable those who have already placed services and information on-line that benefit community groups to develop on-line relationships when face-to-face relationships may not always be possible.

Fact File

1) 50% of housholds in UK are        without Internet access

2) 40% of adults have never        used the Internet

3) Of the adults who have used        the Internet nearly 50% had        accessed a government or        public authority website.