Intellect response: Digital divide: the reality for industry

Intellect iQ magazine response

28/11/2008

Digital Inclusion Action Plan communications

Digital divide: the reality for industry

In the new iQ magazine (PDF 2MB), Sam Ingleby posed a question to which I’d like to give an alternative answer: Digital divide – is it real? As Minister for Digital Inclusion, I feel it’s both real and relevant.

The article cites demographic change, market forces, consumer demand and government intervention as factors mitigating the digital divide. These may have changed its shape, but they have not yet reduced it to the point where we can rest on our laurels and watch it disappear altogether.

Digital exclusion affects people of all ages, and while the largest digitally divided group may be those over 55, increased life and work-life expectancy mean demographic change is slow. Meanwhile, market forces have driven consumer demand and helped close access gaps, but they haven’t motivated or supported usage. The fact is a full third of the population remain on the wrong side of the digital divide.

It could be argued there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in choosing a digital path. Sam stresses non-users should not be lectured, and will use the internet soon enough if they find a need for it. I certainly do not want to lecture anyone who makes an informed choice not to use technology. But I would argue that you can only choose when you have options to choose from, and that many digitally excluded people don’t have the opportunity, information or confidence to make ‘digital’ a viable option.

Those without digital choice are all too often excluded socially as well as technologically. As we find out more about the divide it is clear digital exclusion is no longer just a symptom of wider exclusion, but a root cause. This is another point Sam’s article challenges. He asks if it’s still true to say the poor suffer more than the rich, and cites Sunderland as a city bucking the trend. All our evidence shows that not only is the rich/poor digital divide still true, but all too common.

New research from the Oxford Internet Institute uses data from Ofcom and the Office for National Statistics to re-analyse social disadvantage and the information society. They found that those counted as socially excluded are up to seven times more likely to be disengaged from the internet, and missing out on all the benefits – direct and indirect – it could bring to their lives. From employment and communications opportunities to opportunities to find information and transact with organisations, digital exclusion has a more serious effect today than ever before. While Sunderland may be a shining example of digital inclusion, it is an exception to the rule only because of significant investment and effective public, private and third sector partnerships supporting take-up and delivery.

Yet the digital divide is by no means just a social problem or just important for Government; it is important for business as well. The UK’s future prosperity will almost certainly be built on a digital platform, and digital exclusion has a major impact on skills, employability, and staff efficiency. In addition, as every operation from local restaurants to large retailers take financial and logistical advantage of online advertising, bookings, sales or delivery, they cut out the 17 million digitally excluded people in the UK - a significant chunk of any market. Putting things in a financial and European context, the EU e-Inclusion Team estimate the benefits of digital inclusion could be in the order of up to €85 billion over the next five years. The cost of not addressing the problem – particularly for businesses - could be even higher.

Digital inclusion isn’t over, it isn’t just about age, access or social responsibility, and most importantly it isn’t going to go away by itself. It is vital that we don’t look at the example of Sunderland and simply stop in our tracks. We must continue to take action in order to ensure technology is a vehicle for universal social and economic empowerment rather than a force for greater exclusion or a burden for commerce. Our determination to tackle the challenges that lie ahead and to lead the good practice that can already be found across the public, private and third sectors, is clearly set out in the recently published ‘Delivering Digital Inclusion, an Action Plan for Consultation’.

The Plan complements Lord Stephen Carter’s work to map out the current and future picture of Digital Britain. I want industry to engage with us on how digital exclusion affects their business, community and industry, what needs to be done to address those issues, and how we can work together to invest in both a world class knowledge economy and a fairer society. This is your chance to review the research evidence for yourself, to make up your own mind about today’s digital divide, see the actions already taking place, and most importantly to have your say in the debate.

Please visit the consultation site at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/deliveringdigitalinclusion

or email us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Paul Murphy MP
Minister for Digital Inclusion

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Last Updated ( Friday, 28 November 2008 )

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