Over the past years Malta has managed to achieve widespread connectivity through infrastructure investment and market liberalisation. Although Malta has a DSL coverage of 99% and an internet household penetration rate of 65%, the Community Empowerment Organization (CEO) is continuing its efforts to try and bridge the digital divide.

As a result of this, the CEO was the national coordinator of the Get Online Week 2011, organised by Telecentre-Europe and in which over 27 European countries + 3 non-European countries took part. As a part of the Get Online Week, over 300 offliners went online, in CEO’s 16 telecentres across Malta & Gozo.

The Community Empowerment Organization believes that ICT also acts as a social equalizer as it offers the tools that enable vulnerable individuals to participate more actively within the community. ICT offers everyone an opportunity to lead a richer life.  However digital divides may give rise to digital poverties and new forms of exclusions in themselves. National efforts should ensure that ICT serve as a channel conducive to social cohesion.