Ofcom has published new research about internet adoption and digital disadvantage. These reports explore the profile of people who don’t have or don’t use the internet at home and the lived experiences of people who can face unique challenges while engaging with digital communications and services.
Ofcom has published two pieces of research which aim to improve our understanding of people who might be considered digitally excluded or disadvantaged.
- We commissioned Blue Marble to conduct research exploring digital disadvantage, a broad term used to describe people who are having negative experiences when engaging with digital communications and services. The research involved extended qualitative interviews with people from population groups who according to other evidence can face unique risks with accessing and using the internet, including: disabled people, people in insecure housing, people from minority ethnic groups and people with limited English proficiency.
- We have conducted additional, statistical analysis of our Technology Tracker to produce a demographic deep dive into internet adoption, exploring the demographic makeup of those who do not have, or do not use, home broadband connectivity. It reflects Ofcom’s commitment to explore the barriers to broadband take-up expressed in our report to Government on the Future of TV Distribution. Our deep dive analysis focuses on three groups: 1) non-users, 2) mobile data-only users, 3) external-only users. We have published short report with the main findings from the analysis, alongside a technical report.
Our analysis sheds light on how the nature of the ‘digital divide’ in the UK has changed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic saw millions of people start using the internet for the first time. The reports highlight what barriers are faced by UK adults who are currently not benefitting fully from the availability and opportunities afforded by high-speed internet – whether they are ‘offline,’ ‘online,’ or a combination of the two. We have also published a response to the research findings from the digital disadvantage research, setting out next steps for us as an organisation.