Next year, according to the current plans, analog television transmissions will come to an end. Many old people are worried about how they can get a digital receiver and decoder into the corner of their living room.
People on the Kalliola IT courses laugh at the suggestion that someone who comes in to clean and keep an eye on the elderly would be able to install a digital set-top box or digibox in between their other household chores.
For all that, practical IT concerns have become a very routine matter for those past middle age, as roughly half of all Finnish people in the 50-74 years category had an Internet connection in the home last year.
Many pensioners justify the decision to go online as a cost-saving measure and even a practical necessity. The banks have refined their services and tariffs in such a way that paying bills via the Net is the cheapest way to go. There are also fewer bank outlets than there were - distances to the nearest branch have grown, particularly for those in rural areas.
Last year, for the first time, a majority of those Finns between ages 70 and 74 had a mobile phone.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 2.4.2006
