Presentation at "Broadband Britain - funding, killer apps, and digital engagement" 11 September. Should we invest in broadband infrastructure or in helping the socially excluded to use the net? Or both?
3. We’re doing well
• Between 2009 and 2011 an additional 7.7%
of the UK population became internet users
• UK: 76.4% (Sept 2009) -> 84.1% (Dec
2011)
• As a comparison in the US between 2009 and
2011 an additional 2% of the US population
became internet users
• USA: 76.3% (Nov 2009) -> 78.3% (Dec 2011)
4. The internet makes you happier than
money
The BCS research found that:
‘IT has a direct positive impact on life
satisfaction, even when controlling for
income and other factors known to be
important in determining well-being’
Source: The Information Dividend: Why IT makes you
‘happier’, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT by
Trajectory Partnership, September 2010
5. The internet makes you more employable
• 73% of employers wouldn't even interview entry
level candidates who didn't have basic IT skills
ICM/UK online centres survey, February 2012
9. 5000 local community partners
responding to the people who need them
60% of over 65s
have never used
Broadband take-up
by area varies
from 50% to 80%
41% of disabled people
have never used internet
11. Pipes
• Shetland Islands:
• 0% superfast broadband
• 19.9% of the households <2Mbits/sec
• 71% take-up
• Rutland:
• 0% superfast broadband
• 22.1% at <2Mbits/sec
• 74% take-up making it in the top 10% of
areas for take-up in the UK
Ofcom 2011
12. People
• Middlesbrough:
• 91% superfast broadband
• 9.6% <2Mbits/sec
• 58% of houses have taken-up broadband
putting it in the lowest 10% in terms of take-up
• Sandwell 55% of people use broadband
• South Tyneside 57%
• Stoke-on-Trent 58%
• Barnsley 59%
13. A tale of two issues
• Cumbria has less pipes yet more people
online
• Hartlepool has more pipes and less people
online
• It’s clear that investment needs to continue
in both building infrastructure and
supporting people
14. 1m online for £30m: Saving £157m
Through UK online centres April 2010 – July 2012
1 April 2010 – 27 April
2012
Comparison of the percentage of the population who use the web everyday and those who have never used the internet
It ’s appropriate for us to now focus on the people who are in most need to get online and get digital skills. The people who are the most excluded are: older people; disable people; and people from the most disadvantaged communities (such as the 10% most disadvantaged measured by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation). So we will develop three specialist networks, one for each of these groups – we will do this so that we can promote these centres in a more targeted way, ensure that we work with the right national and local partners, and we will develop new services so that they can achieve more focusing on talking to learners in these excluded groups so that we can prioritise investment on the services that will have greatest impact.
Happens at the most local level – in the heart of communities, most of which are very disadvantaged. In thousands and thousands of local communities. Technology is our enabler – it’s not just about learning how to use it, it’s also the way in which all our products and services are delivered, consistently and conveniently. And we’ve scaled it – scaled it to reach 1m people who needed help to become confident and independent internet users.