January 1st 1998 the French Prime Minister officially launched an action programme destined to make France recoup its lagging behind other developed nations in the field of "the information society". The programme called "Programme d'action gouvernemental pour la société de l'information (PAGSI)" has received an injection of almost 1,4 billion euros during the past four years. It's objective is "to build an information society for everyone". The programme is on of the priorities of the present government, and a number of initiatives in a vast scope of areas have been taken. Every branch of government and other public authorities are, in principle, implicated in the PAGSI-effort. The government also has a programme to help companies raise their ICT-level and to use Internet more. Furthermore the whole state-administration and other public authorities have gone on-line during the four years of PAGSI.
In July 2000 the government decided to allocate an additional sum of 152,4 million euros to public R&D in ICT, and to raise by 25% the sum dedicated to public R&D in ICT over the next five years.
To rectify the still existing inequality in the country concerning access to ICT and Internet, the government has taken a number of decisions. Until the year 2003, 7.000 public points of access will be created in public libraries, post offices, job agencies, mayor's offices, etc.
On July 17 2001 article 19 of the law DDOSEC was adopted, opening up for the creation of high performance infrastructures was adopted. On July 26 1996 the telecommunications-market was opened up by the adoption of the law "loi de réglementation des télécommunications, LRT". This law defines two principles, that the telecommunications sector will be entirely open to competition, keeping certain areas entirely free while others are submitted to licences (television, Minitel, etc). The law also stipulates that equal service shall be supplied to all areas and all citizens alike. To safeguard this, the actual networks will remain in public hands.
The only framework existing in the field of financial support to elderly and handicapped persons are the laws concerning social security. These laws do not concern themselves specifically with ICT, but tend rather to secure basic needs as housing and nourishment. Social security programmes that support elderly and others with low incomes (e.g. Pact Arim) will give financial support for adapting of the living-quarters to meet the needs of these persons, or will finance to adapt of the working-place to secure the possibilities of persons with restricted capabilities to stay at work (e.g. AGEFIPH).
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