Rural 5G deprivation hinders nearly a million Brits

A recent study commissioned by Vodafone UK and conducted by WPI Economics has shed light on a significant digital divide prevailing in Britain's most deprived communities.

Titled 'Connecting the Countryside', the report revealed a striking contrast in 5G accessibility between rural and urban areas. According to the findings, 46 percent of rural deprived areas are 5G not-spots—in stark contrast to just 2.7 percent in urban deprived communities.

The study pinpointed five...

8 November 2023 | 5G

GSMA: Smartphone ownership surpasses 50% yet digital divide persists

According to the GSMA’s annual State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2023, over half of the world's population – approximately 4.3 billion people – now own smartphones.

This surge in smartphone ownership has significantly influenced the adoption of mobile internet services globally, with nearly 4 billion out of 4.6 billion mobile internet users accessing it via smartphones.

Despite this progress, the report highlights persistent challenges; especially...

12 October 2023 | Research

UK Government asks ISPs to promote social tariffs amid cost of living crisis

The UK Government is asking the country’s ISPs to promote social tariffs amid the cost of living crisis.

Low-cost social tariffs are offered to households receiving certain benefits to help close the “digital divide” and ensure that everyone has access to the work and social opportunities that connectivity brings.

However, data from British telecoms regulator Ofcom suggests that under two percent of eligible people are taking up social tariffs—meaning they’re...

4 April 2022 | Broadband

O2 is gifting data to Big Issue sellers this Christmas

O2 is getting in the festive spirit by gifting free data to hundreds of Big Issue sellers.

The free data, given as part of the National Databank initiative, will help the sellers to access essential online services and go cashless to help them grow their business.

Over 200 Big Issue sellers will receive 7GB of data per month in addition to unlimited texts and calls to help them keep in touch with friends and family.

Rodney Lyall, a Big Issue vendor based in...

29 November 2021 | Operators

Virgin Media O2 expands National Databank to tackle data poverty over Christmas

Following a successful three-month trial, Virgin Media O2 is expanding its National Databank across the UK to tackle data poverty over Christmas.

A shocking 1.5 million homes in the UK are currently without internet access. This “digital divide” limits opportunities all year round, but it’s especially bleak around Christmas.

Lutz Schüler, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:

“With many millions of people still facing digital exclusion, now...

12 November 2021 | Operators

Digital Connectivity Index: The UK needs to build momentum to “level up”

The first Digital Connectivity Index shows the UK needs to build momentum to climb the rankings and reap the substantial benefits.

Economic modelling experts Oxford Analytica and Virgin Media O2 partnered up to create the index which is based on “thousands” of OECD datapoints.

Of the 24 OECD countries, the UK is currently ranked joint eighth alongside Spain, Norway, and Lithuania:

CountryIndex...

2 November 2021 | Broadband