Connecting
Communities
Connecting the disconnected: We’re committed to helping eradicate data poverty by connecting 1 million digitally excluded people across the UK through universal and targeted programmes by 2025.
A digital-first society: We want to equip 6 million people with digital skills, confidence and tools to help them feel more connected to our digital society by 2025.
Employee volunteering: We’re supporting 1 million of our people through our ‘Take 5’ day employee volunteering programme by 2025
With a growing digital divide and unequal access to the benefits of data and a digital-first society, we have a responsibility as a business to support and unleash the potential of connected communities.
We’re working to help eradicate data poverty by giving people access to free and affordable connectivity programmes, tariffs and services. We want to improve the digital literacy of people across the UK and help them access essential online services.
Our commitments
- Improve the digital literacy, access and confidence of 6 million people through tailored training in partnership with Good Things Foundation and their Learn My Way platform, as well as provide online safety training for parents and guardians in partnership with Internet Matters.
- Invest in community infrastructure, which supports vulnerable people and the local area, to develop the skills and confidence to access essential online services – including health and wellbeing support
- Invest in a national network of over 5,000 digital inclusion hubs through the Online Centres Network, targeting communities of greatest economic disadvantage and empowering local communities
- Get disconnected people online through the National Databank, Community Calling and Tech Lending Community hubs
- Connect 10 community hubs around the UK each year with free, high-speed gigabit broadband
How we’ll get there
- Making sure everyone can benefit from our network via the Shared Rural Network, gigabit upgrade, Virgin Media Essential Broadband and more
- Building our partners’ digital inclusion capacity to support vulnerable groups
- Driving industry collaboration in partnership with the Data Poverty Lab