Plan Ibirapitá – Free Tablets and Digital Literacy for Low-Income Pensioners

Launched on 6 January 2015 by Uruguay's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Social Development, and the national social-security institute BPS, Plan Ibirapitá distributes free tablets with a simplified interface to pensioners whose income falls below a set threshold, complemented by in-person usage workshops.

The programme aims to close the digital divide for low-income older adults by pairing device distribution with hands-on digital-skills support.

By February 2019, official programme data indicated that nearly 193,000 tablets had been granted nationwide; 70% of recipients reported having used the device, mainly to read news or listen to the radio (70%), use the camera (60%), access YouTube (40%) and Facebook (36%). However, 57% of recipients reported not having used the tablet in the week before being surveyed, 61% said it was their first computer, and 66% relied on help from family members — highlighting the limits of hardware distribution alone without sustained digital support. An independent academic study (Human Technology, 2022) examined this ambivalence in long-term adoption among Uruguayan seniors.

More than a decade after launch, the programme remains active, jointly run by the ministries involved and BPS, with periodic use-surveys informing adjustments to workshops and content.