Repsol YPF

17 May 2008 is the chosen date. For the fourth year in a row, public and private institutions, Internet user associations and schools, amongst other bodies, are preparing to celebrate Internet Day. This year, the Internet Users’ Association is proposing social networks such as Messenger and virtual communities as the focus of a day that will seek to promote Internet use amongst citizens. 

Meanwhile, Red.es, a part of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Commerce that works to promote both Internet use and the Information Society in Spain, will pay particular attention to disabled people on 17 May. 

As such, under the slogan “Connecting disabled people: ICT opportunities for all”, this body is to mobilise all of its technical and human resources in order to invigorate the different fields in which it works: telecentres, primary and secondary schools, libraries, councils, associations etc. Furthermore, the different red.es departments (Telecommunications Observatory, “.es” domains, Advanced ICT Centres) and some of its partners (Cenatic, Inteco, RedIris) are also preparing commemorative events. 

As such, the initiatives proposed by Red.es this year include the drawing competitions organised in schools, video competitions promoted by telecentres and the signing by participating councils of the Declaration of Principles to build the Information Society. Furthermore, a web page  has been set up to provide access to all kinds of information about the Internet.

@t for Internet Day

The celebrations go even further and include gastronomy. As such, the Internet Day organisation, along with various baker’s, the Madrid Council, BBVA and HABBO, are presenting a dessert which is made to be shared and to promote technology in a different way, a way of celebrating and announcing the advent of new technologies, and creating a gastronomic reference for this day.

Internet use in Spain

Promoting Internet use and new technologies continues to be a work in progress. Although the data is positive, there is still a lot of work to do. According to a study by the Telecommunications and Information Society Observatory, carried out in 2007, 42 per cent of Spanish homes are connected to the Internet. Likewise, 53.5% of the population has used the Internet at some point, which represents over 20 million Spaniards. 

Approximately half of the Spanish population, 49.4 per cent of individuals, has some knowledge of the Internet. Of them, 18.5 per cent consider themselves to be a beginner, 7 per cent state that they are an expert, and 24% believe that they are advanced users. In terms of the assessment of the security of Internet shopping, although there is a slight increase of 3.2 per cent on last year, citizens are still in two minds. Where the use of the Internet is concerned in relation to the Public Administration, 17.8 per cent of individuals above the age of 15 prefer to use it to obtain information, over 10 per cent to submit their tax return, and a further ten per cent for tax enquiries.

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