Almost a fifth of people in the Highlands have never used the internet, according to the district council.
And the authority is about to spend £90,000 to address that situation, believing the investment will ultimately save money in the long run.
The theory is that broader use of the internet will help the council improve its processing of paperwork as well as introduce the uninitiated to the benefits of going online.
Research from the Office of National Statistics shows that 16.9% of Highlands and Islands residents have never used the internet.
Council chiefs believe those residents may lack the access, skills or confidence to go online.
A key pledge of the authority’s new minority independent administration is to broaden digital technology.
An officer’s report to members of the resources committee, which meets tomorrow, suggests those people not online “may be missing out on the opportunities to seek and apply for work, manage their money, make savings, access and engage with healthcare, reduce social isolation and access learning opportunities”.
Scottish Government policy is that the nation “needs to ensure that we grasp the opportunity that digital technologies offer to tackle deep rooted social and economic inequalities in our society.”
In May, the council’s resources committee approved £90,000 funding from the its welfare reform fund to “start to address these challenges”.
Highland is also working in partnership with three councils south of the border on a wider initiative to broaden use of the internet.
Committee members will be told that the council’s investment has backing of £55,000 from development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise at least until the end of September. The council hopes to ecure a further £91,500 from the Big Lottery Fund.
The committee will now also consider a move to sign a UK-wide charter organised by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations which further promotes use of digital technology to benefit customers and the efficiency of organisations including councils.