Can interactive digital television
bridge the 'digital divide'?

T. Green, N. Main, J. Aitken-Smith

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to address the issue of the digital divide and to research the feasibility of tackling social exclusion through the use of interactive digital television (iDTV). The discussion begins with a definition of the digital divide and a description of iDTV, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. In order to assess how iDTV can help alleviate information poverty, the paper examines current statistics on the use of various digital technologies to access the Internet. To test the hypothesis that iDTV can bridge the digital divide, the paper concludes by discussing its possible future. Through a web-based literature review, it was found that government, public service broadcasters and digital service providers are all committed to implementing universal Internet access. Its success is greatly dependent on a number of factors. There are a number of powerful vested interests and conflicting objectives resulting in a lack of common technical standards between different Internet and iDTV platforms. The push for broadband connections may render any attempts to provide the majority of households with set-top boxes very quickly obsolete. Access to the Internet alone cannot tackle the digital divide unless it is accompanied by the equipping of users with the necessary skills to utilise its potential for education, e-commerce and entertainment.

The digital divide

The convergence of information technology, telecommunications, broadcasting and the delivery of Internet services at increasing bandwidths has the potential to revolutionise society economically, socially and culturally. This revolution will bypass many people because currently we have a society of 'information rich' and 'information poor'. The divide will grow as those with access to computers gain the skills to maximise the benefits of the Internet and those without become increasingly marginalised. This will impact on educational achievement, access to goods and services, participation in community life and employment. As Wendy Alexander, the Scottish Executive Minister for Communities, argues: 'Increasingly, in the future, what we earn will be based on what we learn. We need to make sure that those opportunities are open to all' (Scottish Executive, 2000).

People who have the least access to other goods and services also have the least access to information communications technologies (ICT). The Office for National Statistics (July 2000) found that Internet take-up in deprived neighbourhoods and excluded social groups is significantly lower than the national average: 25% of UK homes had access to the Internet, compared with 19% in the previous year. While 38% of homes in the highest 30% of income earners had access, only 4.3% of homes in the poorest 30% had access. More middle income groups are getting online, but the largest increase has been in the wealthiest households. The statistics also reveal a divide between regions. In Northern Ireland just 11% of people have access to the Internet, and only 14% in Scotland. North-east London, the east and the south-east of England enjoy the highest levels of access, with between 22% and 25%.

In Scotland the Scottish Household Survey, shows:

only 12 per cent of 'families in council flats' have a computer, compared with 50 per cent of households in 'high income' areas; and only four per cent of 'families in council flats' have access to the Internet from home, compared to 22 per cent from 'high income areas' (Scottish Household Survey, 4 Feb 2000).
Lack of access to information technology and the Internet is seen as one of the measures of social exclusion. For example, already deprived communities are finding that their banks are developing online services but closing local branches. Supermarkets are moving to out of town sites and launching online delivery services. Those who do not have transport or Internet access are reliant on more expensive local shops or no provision at all.

Several solutions to the digital divide have been proposed including local training centres, cyber-cafes, telecottages and digital 'champions' to develop ICT projects in deprived areas. Government, public service broadcasters and digital providers alike have proposed interactive digital television as a means of bridging the digital divide.

Interactive digital television

Interactive television is the 'application of new communication technologies to conventional television' (Carat Group/Edinburgh University, 2000). In other words it is a television system which enables the viewer to interact with what is on screen - to send information to, as well as receive information from, the broadcaster. Viewers can, for example, affect the content of programmes, search for related information, play along with game shows, view football matches from a chosen angle or even create their own action replays.

Digital television is television broadcast in digital rather than analogue form, as a series of 1s and 0s as is used in computer technology. Viewers' televisions must be capable of interpreting this signal or have a set top box connected which converts the digital signal to analogue.

Interactive digital television (iDTV) is the combination of these two technologies enabling activities such as video on demand, home shopping and banking, Internet access and e-mail.

There are three different models of operation for iDTV - 'Single mode', 'Spontaneous mode' and 'Pause mode':

  • 'Single mode' requires the viewer to switch between normal television viewing and the interactive features. Both cannot, however, be viewed at the same time so it is not possible to interact while watching TV.

  • 'Spontaneous viewing' overcomes this with the interactive application popping up in its own 'picture-in-picture' (PIP) window on the screen, allowing the viewer to interact whilst watching a programme. This allows activities such as answering questions on a game show or viewing football results whilst watching a match. This is the method currently used on UK systems such as ONdigital's ONnet.

  • 'Pause mode' records TV programmes to a hard disk, allowing the programme to be paused and the viewer to access the interactive facilities using the full screen. The programme can then be played from the point it was paused at when all interaction is over. This model is essential to e-commerce on IDTV but is a risk to conventional TV advertising as it allows viewers to skip the advertisements during breaks between programmes.

IDTV can be transmitted in three different ways via cable, satellite or terrestrial.

Cable

The signal is transmitted along fibre-optic cables, which have been laid along streets, with a spur running off the main cable into each subscriber's home.

Satellite

A satellite dish placed on the viewer's property receives the signal. The dish must be pointed towards a particular satellite, or motorised, enabling the viewer to point it at a choice of different satellites.

Terrestrial

An aerial placed on the viewer's property as in traditional broadcasting receives the signal.

Many believe that terrestrial broadcast will be the most popular method in the short term as most homes already have aerials in place. There are, however, problems with this according to the British Educational Communications and Technology agency (BECTa):

The (UK) Government is backing digital terrestrial over the other modes of transmission. However, users may find that only one mode of transmission is available to them for technical or practical reasons (BECTa, 2000).

Cable is only available in areas where the fibre-optic cables have been laid down. In general this is limited to cities and other built-up areas. In addition, it is sometimes impractical, or even forbidden due to building regulations, for some homes to install individual satellite dishes. These homes are usually 'multiple dwelling units' such as apartment blocks or high-rise flats. Sometimes a communal satellite system is possible in such cases. Moreover, despite most homes having aerials, these are often not powerful enough to capture the digital signal. Hills, buildings and other obstacles can interrupt the signal making it unavailable to certain homes. In many cases, an aerial upgrade can solve the problem.

The strengths of iDTV

IDTV enables viewers to use television in totally new ways, opening up a range of services and features that were previously only available to computer users. The most important of these features is arguably the possibility of Internet access and e-mail. In addition, iDTV provides a new concept of these being used in a social setting. Traditionally, computer users view the Internet in an individualistic way. The television, however, has for a long time been one of the social focus points of the home, with families and friends watching TV together. With iDTV, this social concept is extended to the Internet and all its associated elements. In the same way that people go shopping together as a social as well as practical activity, home shopping through iDTV may become a social activity with very important implications for e-commerce and advertising.

The use of digital technology in iDTV means that the quality of both sound and image is greatly enhanced. As all the data is digital, computer technology can be applied which effectively treats it as computer software, allowing interactive features to be introduced. In addition, compression techniques can be applied which greatly reduce the bandwidth needed to broadcast. This means that the space previously taken by one analogue channel can now carry several digital channels and so many more channels can be broadcast.

The weaknesses of iDTV

One of the problems of using the Internet through iDTV in its current form, is that the screen resolution of webTV browsers is 542x372 pixels. This is considerably smaller than that available on most home computers, which is currently a minimum of 800x600 pixels. This, coupled with the fact that webTV browsers do not allow for horizontal scrolling, means that the formatting of web pages can be severely disrupted and content is sometimes inaccessible. This problem can be partly resolved by designers making separate versions of sites for access by webTV browsers. High Definition Television (HDTV), however, offers a better solution by providing a much more acceptable screen resolution of 720x1280 pixels or even 1080x1920 pixels.

The frequencies used to broadcast digital television are generally much higher than those for analogue broadcasts. This makes them much more prone to interference. As the broadcast is digital, the picture can never go 'snowy' as in analogue delivery. However, when interference gets too strong, the picture can disappear altogether. This makes the choice of location of television transmitters much more important. This is a growing problem as the iDTV market is largely private and the companies involved have less responsibility and interest in making sure that everyone is able to receive their broadcasts. This problem is avoided, however, when the broadcast is made by satellite or cable.

Usage statistics for various digital technologies and Internet access

It is undeniable that the humble television set is the most popular form of public communication in the world today. Currently 99.4% of households in the UK have a TV set, accounting for around 30.5 million sets (Joint ITC, OFTEL & OFT advice to Government on Digital TV Consultation Document, 1997). The BBC state that there are 20 million license payers (BBC, 2000).

Figures indicate that approximately 36% of people in Britain use the Internet (which is three times more than two years ago) and 36% have a digital TV (e-MORI, March/April 2001). This is a major milestone with the uptake of digital TV equalling Internet usage for the first time. In October 2000, 6% of Internet users gained access through digital TV whilst only 5% used WAP phones. Three-quarters of users logged on from home rather than from work or elsewhere.

Bridging the digital divide

The UK government, digital service providers and public service broadcasters are all committed to interactive TV as a means of bridging the digital divide. As reported by Matt Wells in the Guardian Online (16 April 2001), the UK Government plans to provide digital television equipment to 'targeted neighbourhoods' as a means of achieving their aim of switching off analogue television signals between 2006 and 2010. BBC, BSkyB, ITV and ONdigital have all signed up to the plan, and the location of the first 'digital neighbourhood' will be announced in June and launched by October. Households would get free access to the Internet, e-mail and electronic shopping. In addition, digital versions of the five terrestrial channels, as well as the free-to-air digital channels such as BBC Choice, BBC News 24 and ITV2, would be provided.

The Cabinet Office Minister, Ian McCartney, stated that 'digital television will be one of the key weapons in tackling social exclusion and improving the convenience of public services' (Hansard, 2000). According to the BBC's evidence to the Select Committee on the European Union, 'Televisions or set-top boxes are ubiquitous, relatively inexpensive and familiar. They offer a short cut to the e-society for the population at large' (House of Lords, 2000). This is confirmed by OFTEL:

The familiarity of television and the capabilities of digital give this technology the potential to be a prime means for widespread domestic use of the Internet in addition to new and traditional programme services (OFTEL, 2000).

While Interactive Digital Television is being embraced as a universal panacea to the digital divide, there are many drawbacks. Manufacturers of web browsing set top boxes will need to develop software that will format the content so that it can be viewed more effectively on a television screen. There is also a need for disc storage and peripherals like printers to support some applications. In addition, some digital applications only allow access to 'walled gardens' and not to the Internet as a whole.

There is a lack of common technical standards between the Internet and iDTV services on different platforms. There is much confusion and crossover in Government plans to introduce universal Internet access accompanied by the move towards broadband. Set top boxes might be replaced when more households get access to 'always on' broadband connections where they will be able to access applications from remote servers. According to ONdigital,

Policymaker's first priority must be breaching the digital divide before the "speed divide" of high bandwidth is challenged at a national level. There is little point in giving consumers access to higher bandwidth communication services to an analogue TV or set top box for the 60% of the country that do not have a PC at home or the 16 million who do not have digital television (ONdigital, 2001).

Success greatly depends on whether digital is available on reasonable terms. This will be dependent on whether the services are free-to-air. As Jupiter Communications state,

TV requires deep pockets: barriers to entry are much higher than the web. It is expensive to create new services for walled gardens, and broadcasters require hefty carriage fees to gain a space in a walled garden. Companies can't easily port their web sites to TV; rather they must create and support a new service (Jupiter Communications, 1999).

The ongoing cost of unmetered calls also remains a big problem for many potential Internet users.

Bridging the divide is not just a matter of connecting people to the Internet. Many people do not have the skills to navigate the Internet or use search engines. The content needs to be much more user friendly with the literacy, language and accessibility barriers broken down. It should also be noted that the elderly are heavily reliant on television and may find using the Internet difficult without web sites being more geared towards their needs.

Conclusions - the future

What is our future in this technological revolution? TV set top boxes may certainly be a short-term solution to giving universal access to the Internet and bridging the digital divide. There is considerable debate as to whether TV and the Internet will converge into one system. DataMonitor believe that household devices such as PDAs, WAP, desk top PC and digital TV will be interconnected with the set-top box becoming a multimedia hub (DataMonitor, 2000). Others believe that 'in Europe the TV and PC will not converge into a single all-purpose device' (Jupiter Communications, 1999: 17).

The Government has stated that the analogue signal will be fully switched to digital when tests relating to affordability, availability and take-up have been satisfied. Under the affordability test, digital must be provided to people on low or fixed incomes. Under the availability test, all viewers who now receive analogue television must be able to receive the main free-to-air channels digitally. Under the take-up test, 95 per cent of viewers must have a digital receiver.

Devices are continually being developed with an increasing amount of interactivity. The 'Puck' is designed to be a link between a digital TV programme and text and graphics which are superimposed on the picture. It acts like a mouse as well as a remote control, manipulating an on-screen cursor. Another development involves users renting software applications, such as Microsoft Office, over the Internet, or reading a newspaper on-line for a minimal fee per hour.

According to a report from Strategy Analytics (2001), there is an expectation that by 2005, 625 million people will have TV Internet access for shopping, banking, games, information and entertainment. The UK is the most advanced market with 40% of households expected to own a digital TV by the end of 2001. The BBC's estimate is that 75% of all homes will have iDTV by 2008.

DVR (recordable Digital VideoDiscs) may well be an alternative, or at least an add-on to iDTV with hard discs inside the set top box allowing the viewer to record and manage their TV programming. In addition, there is potential for digital TV broadcasters to offer 200 channels, or more, with wide-screen viewing, CD-quality sound and 'near video-on-demand' (films shown with several different start times so that viewers can watch at their convenience) (BECTa, 2000).

In conclusion, as Forrester Research indicates, 'web based interactive TV will overtake PC web use by 2005' (Forrester Research, 2001). Whether iDTV successfully bridges the digital divide and delivers interactivity remains to be seen. As BECTa suggest,

the much talked about interactivity has been simply a direct marketing tool to facilitate home shopping. True interaction implies the possibility of dialogue between two parties and not simply financial transactions. The promise of true interactivity remains to be fulfilled (BECTa, 2000).

References