EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes has set out an ambitious plan to get the EU’s 150 million “digital virgins” online. And she plans to bring down the costs for mobile internet roaming within the EU.

Listen to a Newsline interview with Ms Kroes:

One-third of EU citizens have never used the internet and the Dutch commissioner warns that Europe is limping behind the US and China in terms of access to the web and online services such as music downloads.

“There shouldn’t be lost generations, with people who are unable to communicate using the latest [technology]. We need better education and infrastructure in place so that everyone can benefit from the opportunities of living in a digital society,” Ms Kroes told RNW. “Europe should be without borders when it comes to digital technology.”

Digital grannies
Ms Kroes, who was recently put in charge of the EU’s Digital Agenda portfolio, explains that it is especially the continent’s older and less educated people who are most at risk of being digitally illiterate, though she insists that even Europe’s pensioners should be logging on.

“It’s of great importance for them to get online. If you can just touch your screen to get access to your doctor, your hospital or your bank, it means you can better decide whether or not you need to leave your area [to get those services]. It’s also a chance to get in touch with your children and grandchildren and even get access to entertainment. So it’s also great fun,” she said.

Only one per cent of Europeans have access to fibre-optic, high-speed networks. The Netherlands is one of the most-cabled up countries in the EU, but other regions are woefully behind. Ms Kroes is proposing that both EU and national funds be used to boost faster internet, encourage research and innovation and improve digital literacy in schools.

Mobile internet
Holding up her own iPhone, Ms Kroes explains that she also plans to bring down the costs for mobile internet roaming within the EU. These are currently punitively expensive. The EU waged war against telecom operators and reduced the cost of voice and SMS services over recent years, though checking emails or buying goods from your phone while abroad is still a major cash-cow for operators.

“We are talking and dealing with telecom companies so they take into account the [cost] of data, to make that transparent, effective and efficient. That’s our plan,” she told RNW.

The well-intentioned plan is, however, short on specifics. No sums for investment are mentioned, nor is it clear how or when the cost of broadband and mobile internet might come down.

Kroes as Dutch PM?
It is also not clear whether Ms Kroes will stick around long enough to make sure it is implemented. On Wednesday, she indicated that she was not ruling out a return to domestic politics, if her party wins the Dutch general election on June 9. Her conservative VVD party has topped several recent opinion polls and she has been tipped as one of the favourites to become the new Dutch prime minister

She said she was confident that the VVD would “win the marathon”, saying it was of “huge personal importance.” Asked whether she would go back to The Hague, she responded: “First wait and see. And, there is a lot to do here.”

Ms Kroes gained a formidable reputation by taking on global giants like Microsoft during her first EU post as competition commissioner, but her new portfolio is unlikely to deliver the same high-profile punches. Only a dozen journalists pitched up for her presentation on Wednesday, whereas she used to draw a crowd. She also has far less power than before, as she is now forced to work closely with colleagues on boosting competition and research, which are not within her area of competence.

She is, however, at pains to stress her enthusiasm for her new post, saying it is the “most creative of them all”. “This is one of those issues that makes sense, not only for tomorrow but already for today.”