Authorities in The Netherlands are determined to have an electronic printing press a computer hooked up to the infobahn in the hands of 1 million citizens within two years. That would be no small feat in a country whose more than 15 million people have so far been slow to hop on the digital communications bandwagon.
Still, Minister of Economic Affairs Hans Wijers, who announced the plan, vows to put some money where his mouth is. He promises 70 million guilders (US$43 million) to companies that help achieve the goal. And Wijers appointed not one, but two working groups which include civil servants, publishing powerhouse VNU, Philips, AT&T, and IBM to develop an action plan.
Critics call 70 million guilders a piddling sum for such a large-scale operation. One thing's for sure, though: in Wijers, the Dutch now have their own Al Gore.
Rogier van Bakel
ELECTRIC WORD
The Web Nets a Commercial Success
Dutch Courage
