Depopulation, especially in Spain, is an increasingly deep-rooted problem in rural areas. In what is known as Empty Spain, according to data collected by Spanish Radio and Televisionsix out of ten Spanish municipalities (5,039, 62 % of the total) have lost inhabitants in the last two decades.
This problem will become even worse if we take into account the forecasts for 20 years from now with regard to population centres with around 500 inhabitants. Javier Esparcia, Professor of Regional Geographical Analysis at the University of Valencia, comments: "their viability is highly compromised, with some exceptions, because they do not have sufficient capacity to maintain their minimum services". In other words, when the larger rural centres begin to lose inhabitants, many of their basic services end up disappearing. This has a knock-on effect on the whole area, both in the main municipality and in neighbouring ones.
Another factor to take into account is the constant ageing of the population in rural areas. This is partly due to the exodus of the younger population to urban areas. The average age in Spain today is 43.6 years. However, in municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants, this figure is close to 50 years. With these data in hand, the need to create services adapted to these circumstances becomes even more palpable. The older population is unfamiliar with the processes of certain procedures or services available via the Internet. In this sense, social agents or public-private service agents (post office, banking, water, electricity, etc.) can be an alternative to solve this situation and offer greater accessibility to the population with this great digital divide.
All these circumstances create the need to offer tools at home. Solutions capable of making minimum services accessible and covering the needs of all users, regardless of their residence. At Intelligent Data we are aware of this dilemma in our country and we firmly believe in the need to offer innovative solutions to this situation.
ID 42 for emptied Spain
Our All-in-One terminal - ID 42 is a perfect choice for offer a solution to current barriers of rural areas, through social agents or public-private service providers:
- The device is a POS terminal with all the necessary functionalities and certifications.
- It has 4G & Wifi connections to allow its use in any area with coverage.
- It has a high-capacity battery to accompany the user for more than a day's work.
- High quality printer: the paper width (80 mm) and resolution is suitable for the use of certified thermal paper rolls.
ID 42 makes it possible to turn any courier or administration employee into a personal assistant for basic services. Nowadays, the absence of basic services such as paying in or withdrawing money, managing administrative procedures or managing electricity or water is already a reality. Solutions such as this make it possible to overcome barriers such as the absence of infrastructures or the advanced age of users.
The possibility of developing innovative alternatives for the maintenance of essential services in empty Spain is a unique opportunity in our country. In this way, it is possible to open a door to the development of new activities in areas that are so badly affected by the lack of services.