DEMOCRATISATION OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY: LIVING IN INFOVILLE THE BELL GOES NOT TO WORSHIP, YET SUMMONS ALL

摘要

InfoVille, as an initiative of the Valencian Government, is based upon the realisation that globalisation of the economy and technological change are producing important transformations in forms of wealth creation and social behaviour. We are witnessing a far-reaching alteration of the co-ordinates of perception and conduct of citizens, businesses, governments, ... etc. In this ever more interdependent world there is no place to hide; you have to go out onto the field and play to win. In parallel, the economic structure of the developed countries is undergoing a process of transformation. A new sector is emerging through the convergence of the capacity for computation (computers, software, ...etc.), communication (telephone, cable, satellite, ...etc.), and content (leisure, advertising, ...etc.). We are entering a new era of "networking," not only of technology but also of human beings, organisations and society as a whole. Digital convergence based on the Internet allows the consumers to satisfy all their appetites in the shape of voice, video and data. Cable, satellite, DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) ...etc. will evolve swiftly to win the battle of the "last mile," opening up the floodgates to a veritable deluge of new services. The provision of these services is increasingly in the hands of "integrators" (Convenience Providers), to the extent of a quasi-operative model of "one-stop-shopping" (one sole bill covering several services). This mutation, in evidence in many parts of the world, represents an opportunity as it is "democratically achievable" and allows for "moulding geography." It does not require the influx of billions of dollars, as do the automotive, heavy and petrochemical industries, and means that a peripheral region, in a peripheral country, may become a centre of international excellence. Given the inevitability of the social and economic transformation brought about by technological change, we Valencians wish to be in the first group to reap the benefits. We wish to be proactive, not reactive. We want to have answers, and not just formulate the questions.