The first of 1500 Hungarian public Internet access points was opened earlier this month in the town of Várpalota. The access points are to help citizens get familiar with the Internet, and with computing devices including laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Managed by local administrations, the access points will open to the public for some 20 hours a week. Help is available for people who have never used computers before or accessed the Internet.

The first Digitális Jólét Program Point (“Digital Success Program Point” or DJP) was officially opened on 5 February by Ákos Kara, Secretary of State for Infocommunication, Márta Talabér, the town’s mayor, and Tamás Deutsch, Commissioner of the Hungarian Prime Minister for the DJP and Member of the European Parliament.

The opening kicked off the construction of the next 845 access points, the Hungarian Ministry of National Development said in a statement.

The HUF 5 billion (about EUR 16 million) project is co-funded by the EU.

The Ministry of National Development also called for new proposals to set up DJPs. Grant applications can be submitted until the end of this month.

More information:

Announcement by the Ministry of National Development (in Hungarian)
Digitális Jólét Program announcement by the Government IT Development Agency (in Hungarian)
Digitális Jólét Program (in Hungarian)