Governance Focus: New study uncovers ‘digital poverty’ across North West’s rural communities at the North West England

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Lancaster reveals that 28% of people in the Northwest England are unsure about completing important online tasks, such as applying for a job or making phone calls online. Ironically, more than half of those aged 65 and over and those earning less have digital skills, meaning that those who are in dire need of internet resources are less likely to be able to access them. today, and is based on a survey of more than 500 people living in rural communities in the North West between February and March 2022, as well as 16 in-depth discussions.

It finds that although 95% of citizens have access to the Internet, only one-quarter feel able to use it fully. The vast majority of people to do not have digital confidence, and are at risk of losing important services and job opportunities. In particular, 26% of rural residents are insecure about applying for jobs online, and 23% are unable to make video calls confidently with Zoom or Microsoft Teams friends to get help — which was a problem for elderly and low-income participants.

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation, said: “It is clear that for those in the rural areas of the North West the lack of digital confidence and skills is a major barrier to accessing essential services and job opportunities over the internet.” working in remote and mixed areas that we have seen since the beginning of the epidemic, it is shocking that so much of the rural population is still struggling with these skills — especially older residents and low-income earners who may benefit from access to digital services. . “

The North West is also one of the worst performing regions in terms of closing the digital divide. Although Government sets out its 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy to reduce the number of offline users by 25% every two years, the North West has only achieved a 15.4% reduction rate between 2017-2019 — ranked ninth out of 12 UK. It is still an important issue for many. 19% of the sample found on their PC, home broadband, smartphone headset or affordable mobile data, increased to 36% among low-income families for £ 20,000 or less. 13% say they have low quality or no Wi-Fi, and one in five does not have mobile broadband.

“It was about hearing in our discussions that low levels of consumer confidence and understanding of technology could lead to people committing to expensive and inappropriate contracts, which they are bound to,” added Ben Harrison. “For example, we heard of cases where people were bound by contracts but could not find reliable communication at home – so it felt like they had to pull out another contract at the same time, at a higher cost.

“People living in rural areas often face the high cost of broadband connectivity, which is not enough to prevent others from fully connected to the internet and this can be even worse as families struggle to make ends meet at the cost of living. what needs to be done to provide people in rural areas of the North West with digital skills and access to what they need. “

The Work Foundation forums set out a series of recommendations for local and government officials. This includes calls for:

• Ofcom ensures that providers freely disclose the full range of costs incurred between mobile or broadband packages and ensures that this information reaches vulnerable consumers in clearly understandable terms.

• Assistance to ensure that Universal Credit applicants are aware that they may be eligible for community taxes that allow people to benefit from broadband connectivity at a reduced cost.

• Job search forums, employers and local organizations such as councils and LEPs to work together to build confidence in rural dwellers in finding and applying for jobs online, through local and local access services.

• Local authorities have provided educational assistance to rural dwellers at high risk of digital poverty, so that they can be equipped with the essential skills needed to search and apply for jobs online.

• Local authorities to work with external companies to create peer-to-peer communication to boost confidence in accessing digital services, using trusted intermediaries and accessible social settings.

For more read: https://phys.org/news/2022-06-uncovers-digital-poverty-north-west.html

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