5,467 research outputs found
An evaluation of the economic impact of broadband in Lincolnshire: updated final report
The Lincolnshire Broadband Initiative, âonlincolnshireâ, was launched in 2003 to bring a range
of broadband supply and demand stimulation activities to businesses across the county.
The initiative has used ÂŁ15 million of European funding, together with matched funding from
Lincolnshire County Council, to support a series of significant Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) interventions to provide support and financial assistance to eligible
Lincolnshire businesses.
The âonlincolnshireâ initiative has four long term strategic objectives. By 2010:
⢠Lincolnshire will be the foremost rural County in the UK, with regards to ICT usage and
skills and will have a commercial environment that embraces ICT;
⢠The main employment sites and premises will have attracted increased and more diverse
investment;
⢠ICT will have made a major contribution to business competitiveness, expansion and
diversification of the economy â measured through an increase in ICT related employment
and a range of ICT based activities;
⢠To have engaged individuals and employers in improving ICT skills to increase local
competitiveness, raise the standards, participation and achievement in ICT throughout the
County
Understanding take-up of broadband by small and micro-enterprises: a case study
The paper examines patterns of broadband take-up, implementation and effects within small and micro-sized enterprises. The research focuses on the âonlincolnshireâ initiative, a local government-led programme which aims to encourage broadband take-up through provision of connection subsidies to SMEs in rural areas of Lincolnshire
Prevalence and predictors of refractive error and spectacle coverage in Nakuru, Kenya: a cross-sectional, population-based study.
A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Nakuru, Kenya to assess the prevalence of refractive error and the spectacle coverage in a population aged âĽ50 years. Of the 5,010 subjects who were eligible, 4,414 underwent examination (response rate 88.1 %). LogMAR visual acuity was assessed in all participants and refractive error was measured in both eyes using a Topcon auto refractor RM8800. Detailed interviews were undertaken and ownership of spectacles was assessed. Refractive error was responsible for 51.7 % of overall visual impairment (VI), 85.3 % (n = 191) of subjects with mild VI, 42.7 % (n = 152) of subjects with moderate VI, 16.7 % (n = 3) of subjects with severe VI and no cases of blindness. Myopia was more common than hyperopia affecting 59.5 % of those with refractive error compared to 27.4 % for hyperopia. High myopia (+5.0 DS). Of those who needed distance spectacles (spectacle coverage), 25.5 % owned spectacles. In conclusion, the oldest, most poor and least educated are most likely to have no spectacles and they should be specifically targeted when refractive services are put in place
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