What is AsPontes.net?
AsPontes.net is a Vilas Dixitais project, aimed at developing the information society in the municipalities of As Pontes de García Rodríguez and Vilalba.Information Portals
The Vilas Dixitais programme involves the creation of two information portals: AsPontes.net and VilalbaDixital.net. These make up a new communication space that is accessible and open to participation on the part of all residents. By means of the Internet, residents and their associations can access information of interest, which they can update with the help of communication experts.AsPontes.net and VilalbaDixital.net have the objective of creating a citizen network, strengthening neighbourhood bonds by means of recreational and inter-relational tools: chat rooms , notice board, forums, e-mail… Citizen portals favour access to useful information –employment, housing, form-filling…- aimed at economically improving the living conditions and community social well-being in rural areas. At the same time, they enable the revival, compiling and sharing of the municipalities’ tradition and historical past, related in first person.
Avant-garde Technology for the Countryside
Rural areas find it difficult to access the Internet due to the lack of broadband. In order to overcome this deficiency, Vilas Dixitais has set up a pioneering satellite-based proposal, which involves the latest technologies guaranteeing accessibility.Thanks to this technological basis, and the participation of associations from Pontes and Vilalba, forty tele-centres have been created in the parishes of these two municipalities. Mainly located in old rural schools, they feature modern computers that residents can use free of charge.
Digital Training for Everybody
The creation of tele-centres would not be feasible without prior training. Vilas Dixitais has designed an extensive digital literacy programme for residents, adapted to different user profiles. This training experience enables the residents of As Pontes and Vilalba to run the tele-centres, which will continue to host new courses and demonstration workshops.Vilas Dixitais is part of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade’s "Ciudades Digitales" -Digital Cities- programme.