Policy paper

Digital Inclusion Action Plan: One Year On

Published 24 March 2026

Digital Inclusion Action Plan: One Year On progress report.

Why digital inclusion matters

The government’s ambition is simple: everyone, whatever their circumstances, should be able to get connected and get online, safely and with confidence.  

Being online means more than convenience – it can open doors for everyone - helping people learn, work, save money, and stay close to those they love. Digital connection is no longer a “nice to have”: it is part of everyday life.

But 1.6 million people have no internet connection at all ^{[footnote 1]}, and many more do not have the right device or the skills to use the internet at work and in life. People who are not online are often also disabled, older, or have lower incomes. Yet without internet access and digital skills, they end up paying more for bills, are trapped earning less, or not able to easily get the support they need.

For the government’s aims of growing the economy and getting more money in people’s pockets, fixing public services, and making life better for everyone, digital inclusion matters. It means making sure that everyone can get online, use digital services, and feel confident doing so.

What did the Digital Inclusion Action Plan say?

Published in February 2025, the Digital Inclusion Action Plan was the first UK government plan on digital inclusion for a decade. It defined digital inclusion as ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in and benefit from our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.

This means that everyone - no matter their background - should be able to get connected and get online, safely and with confidence.  

The plan identified 4 areas for action: building better digital skills, helping more people get internet and a device to use it, ensuring online services are simple to use (with offline options too), and putting in place more trusted local help.

It also explained how the government would do this. First, by working in partnership — across government, with local leaders, businesses and charities. Second, by supporting action at a local level. And third, by using evidence, learning what works in practice and looking at best practice around the world.

The plan highlighted groups more likely to struggle, including low-income households, older people, disabled people, unemployed people, and some young people not in employment, education or training.

Alongside the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the government also asked for views through a call for evidence. 800 responses were received, and a summary was published in July 2025.

What have we been doing since and where next?

In the first year, we worked out what actions mattered most, who we needed to support, and the principles we would follow to build a more inclusive and connected society. Since then, we have focused on delivery — putting the government’s First Steps into action, testing what works through pilots and research, and building new partnerships and ways of working.

People are already benefiting from this.

We launched an £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, supporting local projects across the UK to help people get online with confidence.

Getting into work through digital confidence

Through one‑to‑one digital support delivered by Women’s Wellbeing and funded through the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, women are being offered tailored coaching to learn essential digital skills – from setting up email to completing quality job applications. Rooted in local communities, Women’s Wellbeing has opened up real pathways into volunteering, further training, and employment. This has worked. Within 2 months, 2 women secured their first ever jobs, and many more are growing in confidence, skills, and readiness to enter the workplace.

Helping older people stay independent

In 13 communities across England, Age UK has supported older people who were anxious about using the internet. Through volunteer‑led sessions focused on everyday tasks – staying safe online, accessing services, and keeping in touch with family – older participants built confidence step by step. Almost all participants used their new skills independently between sessions, showing that tailored, local support can overcome confidence barriers that often keep older people offline.

We are delivering a multi-department device donation pilot to refurbish and donate end-of life devices, working with the Digital Poverty Alliance to get devices to people who need them most.

A laptop that helped rebuild a life

Maria (name changed to protect their privacy) is a single mother who had recently escaped domestic abuse with her 2 young children. Living in temporary accommodation and relying on benefits, she wanted to return to work and regain financial independence – but had no laptop to apply for jobs or work remotely. Through the government’s device donation pilot, Maria received a refurbished laptop. With it, she was able to apply for jobs, access essential services, and plan a return to work that fitted around caring for her children. Maria told us the laptop had “made a big difference” to her daily life at a time when she was rebuilding from scratch.

We secured industry pledges – delivering impact at scale. Government cannot fix digital exclusion on its own. Businesses, charities and community groups are part of the solution. Together we can reach far more people.

LS‑TEN Sky Up Hub: Jake - from exclusion to employment

Jake (name changed to protect their privacy) first came to the LS‑TEN Sky Up Hub just outside Leeds when he was 16. He had struggled at school, lacked confidence, and wasn’t sure what direction to take next.

At the Hub, Jake had free access to the internet, laptops and practical support. This gave him a safe place to build digital confidence at his own pace. With support from staff, he learned how to search for jobs online, prepare a CV and practice interviews.

Over time, Jake’s confidence grew. With the skills and support he gained at the Hub, he secured his first apprenticeship. He is now progressing towards a new apprenticeship in prosthetic limb manufacturing and building a career he previously didn’t think was possible.

Virgin Media O2’s Community Calling programme: Lucy – survivor of domestic abuse

Lucy (name changed to protect their privacy) fled an abusive relationship with very few belongings and no access to a personal phone. This made it extremely difficult for her to seek confidential support, attend remote appointments, or stay connected with specialist domestic abuse services.

Receiving a phone allowed Lucy to safely contact support workers, access counselling services, and rebuild her independence. The device is becoming a vital lifeline, enabling her to plan next steps without relying on others or risking her safety.

“Having my own phone made me feel safe again. I could talk to people who understood and start to rebuild my life in my own time.”

Virgin Media O2’s Community Calling programme, delivered with environmental charity, Hubbub, has helped over 32,000 people in need get online by providing free phones to people who need them.

Too many people still struggle to get online, get a device, build digital skills, or use online services. We are determined to help more people, working towards everyone, whatever their circumstances, being able to get connected and get online, safely and with confidence.

Over the next year and beyond, we will focus on building on this progress, using evidence and working across government and with partners, so support reaches the people who need it most.

Our 6-point plan to support this is to:

1. Help more people get fast, reliable and affordable internet

We will keep working with telecoms companies in line with their commitments to make cheaper broadband packages easier to find and to support people who are struggling to pay. Under the new Telecoms Consumer Charter agreed in February 2026, major providers have committed to ending surprise price rises during contracts and making social tariffs easier to find and use for people who are eligible. They have also agreed to do more to help customers in financial difficulty. These commitments should help more people stay online and manage their bills, and we will track progress to make sure people see the benefits.

2. Ensure more people get the devices they need

Around 1.7 million households in the UK do not have a laptop, tablet or desktop^{[footnote 2]}, while millions of devices go unused each year ^{[footnote 3]} — left in drawers, thrown away or not reused. We want to change this by encouraging people, businesses and public bodies to pass on devices that are no longer needed. By working with local and regional governments, community groups, charities and businesses, we will expand schemes that donate, lend and reuse devices. This includes making sure people can get the right kind of device for their needs — for example, a smartphone or tablet for older people, or a laptop or tablet for a child whose family cannot afford one for schoolwork.

3. Strengthen effective digital support in local communities, applying what we have learnt

We will build on learning from programmes such as the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to determine how best to support more people to get online with confidence. We recognise that digital inclusion works best when help is delivered by trusted local people and institutions, and when we meet people where they are in terms of access, skills and confidence, to most effectively and efficiently responds to individual needs.

4. Own and update the Essential Digital Skills Framework

The Essential Digital Skills Framework defines the basic digital skills people need for work and everyday life. We will make sure it reflects today’s world, including new technology like AI, and helps people stay safe from scams and fraud online.

5. Make digital services work for everyone

We will update the GOV.UK Service Manual — which is the guidance all public services should follow to make sure they are designed to be accessible and inclusive for everyone — to set higher expectations of what good looks like. We will also do more to ensure these standards are met. While we want everyone to be able to get online with confidence, we also know some people do struggle, which is why we will continue to protect nondigital options, like phone and face-to-face support, for people who need them. We will also work with major private services — like banks, utility companies and online shops — to make more digital services easier for everyone to use. Finally, some people cannot use digital services on their own and need help from someone they trust, such as a family member, friend or carer. This includes older people, disabled people, or those with health conditions. Right now, many people manage through informal workarounds - sharing passwords or staying logged in on shared devices, which is unsafe and can lead to fraud or mistakes. The next step is to build on research into how delegated or proxy access is already being used, and to understand how or whether improved routes like this could make it easier to manage everyday tasks while protecting privacy and security.

6. Embed digital inclusion across government

To help more people get online with confidence, the government needs to widen its reach and ensure people get the right support. The Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion brings departments together to make sure digital inclusion is built into everyday services and major government plans. Through this whole of government approach, we want to help more people use digital services, while also making sure extra support is in place for those who need it.

Progress report: summary

Since publication of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, we have made strong progress across all areas, with all government commitments either fully delivered or on track.

A summary of progress to date is set out in the table below. Alternatively you can read about the progress to date in full, further down this page.

First 5 actions

Delivering to make things better now while establishing the evidence to support more effective delivery in the future.

We said	Delivered	We did
Launch an ambitious Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support local initiatives that increase digital participation	Yes	We launched an £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, giving local communities funding to test new ways to close the digital divide and help more people get online with the access, skills and confidence they need. What we learn from this fund will help us understand what works best and guide future support.
Enhance support for the framework that helps people get the essential digital skills they need for work and life	Yes	From 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will take responsibility for the Essential Digital Skills Framework and the national survey. We will update the Framework so it reflects today’s digital world, including new technology like AI, and helps people stay safe from scams and fraud online. We will engage the public, industry and experts to do this.
Pilot a multi-departmental device donation scheme	Yes	We have launched a government pilot to refurbish and donate old devices, which has already led to around 200 devices being given to community centres, homelessness charities and individuals, to help more people access the digital world [footnote 4].
Make government digital services more accessible and inclusive	On track	We made early changes to the Service Manual, which guides how public sector digital services are built, to make advice on inclusion and accessibility clearer and easier to follow. We also checked more public sector websites and apps to make sure they meet accessibility standards.
Measure what works on digital inclusion, identify where the need is greatest, and establish the economic and social value of upskilling adults with digital skills	On track	We strengthened the evidence on what works in digital inclusion through new research and pilots. This includes work on digital skills, trusted or delegated access, and increasing digital participation, including for veterans and disabled people.

Leadership actions

Putting in place new structures and partnerships across government, the private sector, and the third sector – to ensure a joined up and quality plan for digital inclusion.

We said	Delivered	We did
Set up a new Digital Inclusion team in DSIT	Yes	The Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit was established in September 2024.
Establish a ministerial group to meet on a quarterly basis	Yes	The Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion sets direction for the UK’s approach – bringing together those responsible for government priorities, from the NHS 10-Year Plan, to supporting people into work, and the digital ID.
Establish expert digital inclusion committee to scrutinise and steer the Government’s approach to digital inclusion	Yes	The Digital Inclusion Action Committee and 3 subcommittees were established in June 2025. Bringing together 35 experts, the Committee’s expertise is already shaping government policy and will continue to help scrutinise and challenge our approach to digital inclusion.
Bring external expertise into DSIT	Yes	An academic with expertise in inclusive design and digital inclusion has joined the Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit via the DSIT Expert Exchange Programme.

Industry pledges

Working in partnership with external stakeholders to deliver digital inclusion to people across the UK.

We said	Delivered	We did
Google will develop a new partnership with DSIT to deliver intensive digital skills training	Yes	DSIT and Google are working with local councils in the North East to provide digital and AI skills training for over 100 care leavers and their advisers. This training helps care leavers look for work, build skills for jobs, and stay safe online.
IT Reuse for Good Charter: Good Things Foundation, VodafoneThree, and Deloitte UK are working with DSIT to deliver a charter for responsible device donation	Yes	In June 2025, we launched the IT Reuse for Good Charter, developed with Good Things Foundation, VodafoneThree, and Deloitte UK, to encourage more organisations across the UK to refurbish and donate their end-of-life devices.
Telecoms industry pledges e.g., to expand affordable connectivity, including through low-cost home internet	On track	Industry has connected or supported  over 1 million people with cheaper internet, free data, donated devices and locally-delivered digital support [footnote 5].

Progress to date: full details

First 5 actions

Delivering to make things better now while establishing the evidence to support more effective delivery in the future.

We said:

1. Launch an ambitious Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support local initiatives that increase digital participation

We did:

• We have launched an £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, backing local communities to lead the way in closing the digital divide and helping more people get the access, skills and confidence they need to get online.
• The Fund has supported 85 projects in England and delivered £1.47 million to the devolved governments to ensure that funding will support digital inclusion initiatives across the UK.
• The learnings from the Fund will be fundamental to understanding ‘what works’ and what could be scaled for the government’s future digital inclusion work. Working with an independent evaluator, we are assessing individual projects to ensure future interventions have the greatest impact.

We said:

2. Enhance support for the framework that helps people get the essential digital skills they need for work and life

We did:

• Lloyds Banking Group has played a vital role in standing up and stewarding these resources since 2018. Bringing the Essential Digital Skills Framework and Survey into government ownership will help to ensure their long-term sustainability, and boost visibility of Essential Digital Skills as a key digital benchmark for life and work.
• DSIT will undertake a comprehensive update of the Framework during 2026 to ensure it reflects the core digital skills people need for life and work in today’s digital world. A refreshed Essential Digital Skills Survey will relaunch in 2027.
• DSIT will continue to work closely with the Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to ensure a joined-up approach to Essential Digital Skills policy and delivery across government – to be – formalised by a Memorandum of Understanding, and will work closely with industry stakeholders and experts as we take the refresh forwards.
• As part of the commitment to review the adult essential skills offer, as set out in the Post-16 education and skills white paper published in October 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) is reviewing the National Standards for Essential Digital Skills to ensure there are clear and effective pathways for individuals through essential digital skills qualifications.

We said:

3. Pilot a multi-department device donation scheme

We did:

• We have launched a government pilot to refurbish and donate end of life devices, which has led to around 200 devices being donated and being given to community centres, homelessness charities and individuals, to help more people access the digital world^{[footnote 6]}. The pilot has now been renewed until August 2026.
• Together with our delivery partner, the Digital Poverty Alliance, we are refurbishing and donating end-of-life devices from across the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and distributing them to digitally excluded people.
• Data is being collected at each stage of the pilot to be analysed, assessing the scale of government device donation and where we can improve donation processes.

We said:

4. Make government digital services more accessible and inclusive

We did:

• In December 2025 we made priority adjustments to the Service Manual – which is the best practice guide for public sector teams to build, design and run digital services. Our adjustments improved clarity and structure across the manual’s key inclusion and accessibility guidance. These updates will be tested with service teams, and we remain committed to iteratively developing the manual through user research and ongoing content improvements.
• We continue to make clear that digital should never be the only option. Public services should provide well-supported offline routes, including phone lines, paper forms and face-to-face support where appropriate. This ensures that people who prefer, or need, access services offline can still do so easily.
• Following the priority adjustments in December, the Service Manual, is now being reviewed as a whole. This review will involve a series of engagements with service teams across government, to ensure our guidance supports the public sector to maintain and develop products which are user friendly for people with different needs.
• We continue to monitor the accessibility of public sector websites and mobile applications and enforce the provision of accessibility statements – which is how we verify that public sector services comply with accessibility requirements – on services.

We said:

5. Measure what works on digital inclusion, identify where the need is greatest, and establish the economic and social value of upskilling adults with digital skills

We did:

• We have invested more than £800,000 into research on digital inclusion. We are working with partners to build understanding of how to help everyone benefit from the digital world, through 4 funded research projects, including on how to embed AI into basic skills trainings and the current role of delegated or proxy access for those without digital skills or access. 3 pilots are also underway are focused on improving digital participation – including for veterans and disabled people.
• DSIT sponsored FutureDotNow to produce research on the economic impact of closing the workplace digital skills gap (published May 2025) and  The Ripple Effect  (published December 2025), which explored the wider social benefits of upskilling adults with essential digital skills. The research found that improving digital and media literacy skills goes beyond benefits to individuals, also generating wider economic growth and social value – strengthening families, communities, employers and public services.
• The upcoming DSIT Public Engagement Survey will contain data on all 4 ‘pillars’ and become a key source for measuring the nature and extent of digital inclusion in the UK. It will run annually and reach both online and offline groups. Details were published in September 2025 on GOV.UK.

Leadership actions

Putting in place new structures and partnerships across government, the private sector, and the third sector – to ensure a joined up and quality plan for digital inclusion.

We said:

6. Set up a new digital inclusion team in DSIT

We did:

• The Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit was established in September 2024, following the election of the government and once ministerial priorities were established.

We said:

7. Establish a ministerial group to meet on a quarterly basis

We did:

• The Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion sets direction for the UK’s approach – bringing together those responsible for priorities from the NHS 10-Year Plan, to supporting people into work, and the digital ID.
  
• 2 ministerial group meetings have been held so far, the first in May 2025 and a second in January 2026. The next meeting will be held in April 2026.
  
• As the lead Minister for Digital Inclusion in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, last year Baroness Lloyd of Effra, Minister for Digital Economy wrote to ministers across government to emphasise the importance of digital inclusion to help make people’s lives better and deliver the government’s priorities, and that  achieving this requires a cross-government effort.
  
• Summary minutes of meetings of the Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion will be published on GOV.UK soon.

We said:

8. Establish the Digital Inclusion Action Committee to scrutinise, steer and help shape the Government’s approach to digital inclusion

We did:

• The Digital Inclusion Action Committee and 3 subcommittees were established in June 2025. Bringing together 35 experts, the Committee’s expertise is already shaping government policy and will continue to help shape and bring constructive challenge to our approach to digital inclusion.
• In addition to scrutinising the government’s delivery of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the committee and its 3 subcommittees have identified priority areas for focus and are actively engaging with government on key policy issues including the Future of TV, the digital ID, and digital accessibility. Members are engaging with government consultations, developing work on metrics and evidence, and providing policy recommendations to help inform and shape government’s work.
• Summary minutes of meetings of the Digital Inclusion Action Committee plenary will be published on GOV.UK soon.

We said:

9. Leverage the Expert Exchange Programme to bring external expertise into DSIT to help shape our approach to digital inclusion.

We did:

• An academic with expertise in inclusive design and digital inclusion has joined the Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit via the Expert Exchange Programme.
• The initial 12-month placement, starting January 2026, will help ensure that the government’s digital inclusion policy is informed by deep subject matter expertise and by an understanding of the latest academic literature and thought leadership.

Industry pledges

Working in partnership with external stakeholders to deliver digital inclusion to people across the UK.

The Digital Inclusion Action Plan made clear that government acting alone cannot deliver the change needed to tackle digital exclusion, highlighting the importance of partnership working with industry, charities and other organisations. The following companies and organisations pledged specific commitments in support of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. For each commitment, we list the pledging organisation(s), and the impact which has since been delivered. We want to recognise the hard work and ongoing commitment from our partner organisations which has made this possible.

Google commitment

10. Google will develop a new partnership with DSIT to deliver intensive digital skills training

Delivered:

• DSIT and Google are collaborating with North East Local Authorities to deliver Google digital and AI skills training to over 100 care leavers and personal advisors. The training will support job search and employability skills for care leavers and help participants to stay safe online.

Good Things Foundation, VodafoneThree and Deloitte UK commitment

11. IT Reuse for Good Charter: Good Things Foundation, VodafoneThree, and Deloitte UK are working with DSIT to deliver a charter for responsible device donation.

Delivered:

• In June 2025, we launched the IT Reuse for Good Charter, developed with Good Things Foundation, VodafoneThree, and Deloitte UK, to encourage more organisations across the country to refurbish and donate their end-of-life devices. So far, there are 43 signatories of the IT Reuse for Good Charter, with a range of private, public, and third sector organisations of different sizes committing to device donation.
• The IT Reuse for Good Charter Playbook was developed alongside the charter, to provide practical support for signatories establishing a device donation scheme.
• According to monitoring data from signatories of the IT Reuse for Good Charter, there were around 22,200 devices donated to an individual or organisation between the charter’s launch on 25 June 2025 and the end of the first 6-month data reporting period on 25 December 2025. Of these, around 19,300 were mobile phones and around 2,900 were laptops^{[footnote 7]}.
• We will continue to promote the charter through a number of different avenues to ensure that we reach as many organisations as possible across a range of sizes and sectors – and we want to see more organisations commit to donating devices to those that need them.

Helping children meet their potential

A Year 9 student who had been saving money to purchase her own laptop has greatly benefitted from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) donation. Previously, she relied on limited access to shared devices and struggled to keep up with the demands of secondary school, where digital research and online homework platforms are increasingly the norm. Receiving her own laptop lifted a financial burden and opened new opportunities for learning.

She said: “I was trying to save up for a laptop, but it was taking a long time. Getting this one has really helped me with my homework and schoolwork.”

With her new device, she now completes homework more efficiently, conducts school-related research, and has explored general topics of interest, allowing her to broaden her knowledge beyond the classroom.

She shared: “I use it mostly for my homework and for researching things for school, but I also use it to look up things I’m interested in. It’s made studying much easier.”

The laptop has strengthened her independence, improved her digital literacy, and supported her aspirations as a young learner preparing for future GCSEs.

CityFibre commitment

12. CityFibre has committed to installing 170 connections to 170 premises in Norfolk, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Kent, East and West Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas by 2030. As part of this, these premises - including residential and community hubs - will be given their first 6-month broadband package for free.

Delivered:

• CityFibre are on track to meet their 2030 target.
• CityFibre pledged £2 million through their Community Fund, launched last year, to support digital inclusion initiatives. The Fund already supports 37 community organisations across Project Gigabit regions, helping an estimated 14,000 people to improve their digital skills, as well as creating long-term capacity in charities.

Virgin Media O2 commitment

13. Virgin Media O2 has already connected over 350,000 digitally excluded people. It is committing to increasing this to 1 million people by the end of 2025, through expanded provision of data and devices to those that need it.

Delivered:

• Virgin Media O2 have connected over 1 million digitally excluded people through providing affordable access, access to its network in rural areas, and free data and refurbished devices. The company has achieved its ambitious 5-year goal to help tackle digital exclusion as part of its sustainability strategy.
• On top of this, the operator has also provided 8.5 million people with digital skills training and online safety advice.
• Virgin Media O2 has connected people experiencing digital exclusion and/or financial difficulties with a range of comprehensive programmes and pioneering partnerships that have provided targeted and long-lasting support, helping them to get online.

Vodafone commitment

14. Vodafone will help 1 million people cross the digital divide in 2025 through donating connectivity and technology, affordable services, and upskilling communities. This includes a commitment to maintain their social tariff product offerings. To support closing the digital infrastructure divide, Vodafone will continue to invest in rolling out their network to the whole of the UK.

Delivered:

• Vodafone has met and exceeded the commitment set out in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, supporting over 1 million people and businesses cross the digital divide throughout 2025.
• This delivery increases access to digital connectivity, improves affordability and accessibility of services, and strengthens digital skills and confidence across individuals, communities and businesses. Together, these interventions have helped to drive participation in today’s society, support productivity and growth, and reduce digital exclusion.

Three commitment

15. Three will donate over 2 million GB of data to an estimated 80,000 people by 2026.

• To help bridge the digital divide, Three’s Discovery digital-skills training programme seeks to reach over 270,000 people by 2030.
  

• Through the Reconnected scheme, Three aims to save around 30,000 unused devices to help disadvantaged people get connected.
  

Delivered:

• Following the merger of Vodafone and Three, the newly combined business remains firmly committed to supporting digital inclusion.
• Three UK has donated 1,439,952 GB of mobile data to the Good Things Foundation’s National Databank, helping people across the UK stay connected and access essential online services, and will continue to fulfil their pledge to donate 2 million GB of mobile data in 2026.
• Bringing together the companies’ shared ambitions, they will continue to provide data to the National Databank as one entity, with a view to meeting the pledged target, and work with partners to help tackle digital exclusion.
• Three’s Discovery digital skills programme is ahead of schedule, having already reached 235,791 people, with only 34,000 people to go before 2030. Three remain committed to delivering the programme to meet the target.

WightFibre commitment

16. WightFibre commits to providing free or discounted broadband to community groups and charities, including community centres, digital hubs and village halls, on the Isle of Wight. These community organisations will promote that they have free Wi-Fi available on-site for public use.

Delivered:

• WightFibre’s Connected Communities Programme now has 46 member organisations on the Isle of Wight, with 11 new members having joined in 2025.
• WightFibre have expanded collaboration with a number of community partners through their Connected Communities Programme including Cowes Alzheimer Cafe and Wight Youth Trust.

BT commitment

17. BT made commitments on connectivity, community Wi-Fi, and skills as outlined below:

a) Connectivity:

BT has already connected over 300,000 digitally excluded households through its social tariffs, which also include a lower £15 tariff for ‘zero income’ households, and will continue to offer these tariffs to millions of people on Universal Credit who are eligible for them.

Delivered:

• BT has recommitted to helping those who need connectivity most by providing affordable broadband and phone social tariff plans. BT now has over 330,000 households on social tariffs, which also include a lower tariff for ‘zero income’ households.
  

b) Community WiFi:

BT Group has the country’s largest public Wi-Fi network, with some 5.5 million EE and BT hub locations (in households and commercial premises) available for eligible customers to connect to. BT and EE have agreed to pilot 2 new approaches to extend the use of this network to a much larger number of digitally excluded households:

• By providing log-ins for free Wi-Fi to eligible families through charity and public sector partnerships
• By providing community Wi-Fi services, free at the point of use, at a much larger number of libraries and community centres, including working with government to identify and prioritise connections to 500 community hubs in deprived areas
• To succeed, this initiative will need support from local partners, which the pilot phase of the project will seek to ensure.
  

Delivered:

• Openreach is continuing to build at pace and has reached over 450 build connections past potential community hubs across the 3 pilot local authorities.
• BT is on track to pilot community Wi-Fi hubs in 15 locations across the 3 local authorities, working with local stakeholders and digital inclusion leads.
• BT has identified Wi-Fi solutions for 3 differing sizes of community hubs. Wi-Fi solutions include a managed installation of on premises kit, a branded landing page for each local authority and access to a reporting and management information portal.
  

c) Skills:

BT commits to providing digital training to thousands of older people and children in 2025, through their partnership with AbilityNet and their Work Ready programme. BT commits to providing 500 adults with disabilities with digital devices, data and support in 2025, through their partnership with Keyring.

Delivered:

• BT is on track to provide digital training to thousands of older people including adults with disabilities and children. In this financial year, through BT’s partnership with AbilityNet, nearly 9,600 people have now received digital upskilling.

Openreach commitment

18. Openreach is building ultrafast ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband to 25 million premises by December 2026 and ultimately aiming to reach as many as 30 million by 2030 if the right investment conditions exist.

As we build, we’ll work with government to upgrade connectivity to at least 500 community hubs in deprived areas, helping people across the country to get online, with the majority delivered by the end of 2026. We’ll also work with our communications provider customers to offer the services these sites need, as soon as our network’s been built.

Delivered:

• Openreach is continuing to build at pace and has reached over 450 build connections past potential community hubs across the 3 pilot local authorities.

Sky commitment

19. Through Sky Up — Sky’s social impact programme — Sky will commit to supporting 70 Sky Up Hubs across the UK help people bridge the digital divide by providing reliable internet connections, tech equipment and digital training in partnership with local charities in 2025.

Delivered:

• In 2025, Sky supported 70 Sky Up Hubs across the UK, helping local communities thrive in an increasingly digital world by providing reliable internet connections, tech equipment and digital training in partnership with local charities.

• Sky have distributed over 2,200 devices including laptops and tablets, cameras, podcast equipment and mobile phones. Almost 40,000 devices have used over 77TB of free Wi-Fi in Sky Up Hubs. Over 1,000 Sky volunteers have provided hands on digital training for local communities through the Sky Up Hubs.
  

• The Hubs are also having a significant impact on combatting digital exclusion:
  

  • 83% of attendees attend their Hub at least once a week, with 87% going for digital support and 60% going to access devices they can’t otherwise access.
    
  • Meanwhile, 65% of attendees feel more confident using the internet, 95% feel more confident in themselves and 79% feel less lonely.

Accessible formats

An easyread summary and a British Sign Language video with captions will be published on GOV.UK soon.

If you require an alternative accessible format of this document, including audio or braille, this can be made available upon request.

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1. Lloyds Consumer Digital Index Report 2024 ↩

2. 6% of people in the Ofcom Technology Tracker responded that no one in their household had a laptop, tablet or desktop. This proportion was applied to number of UK households (28.6 million) reported in the 2024 ONS Families and households in the UK report. The total household figure has been rounded to the nearest 100,000. ↩

3. Over 200 million unused devices languishing in UK homes, Vodafone UK 2024 ↩

4. This is based on DSIT’s analysis of monitoring data provided by Digital Poverty Alliance. It covers the period of the pilot from February 2025 to June 2025 (the only data provided to date) and has been rounded to the nearest hundred. ↩

5. This figure is based on DSIT’s analysis of organisations’ delivery of commitments made as part of the industry pledges, where data is available, in the year since the publication of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. The figures used in this calculation are: 1) Virgin Media O2: confirmed that it has supported around 650,000 people since the launch of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. 2) Vodafone: confirmed that it has connected around 360,000 people since the launch of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. Framing of ‘over 1 million’ has been used given that DSIT expects that the industry pledges have supported more people than this, however it has not been possible to quantify exactly how many given not all pledges are directly related to a number of people. Instead, they may be based on number of devices, or households with broadband connections, or businesses. One million is therefore considered a very conservative estimate. ↩

6. This is based on DSIT’s analysis of monitoring data provided by Digital Poverty Alliance. It covers the period of the pilot from February 2025 to June 2025 (the only data provided to date) and has been rounded to the nearest hundred. ↩

7. These figures are based on internal analysis from DSIT following the collection of the first batch of data returns from signatories of the IT Reuse for Good Charter. This analysis aggregates the individual data returns of 10 signatories who completed a donation to an individual or organisation in the reporting period. From the 38 signatories the charter had by the end of the reporting period, DSIT received data returns from 23 signatories as of 27 February 2026.  The charter is a national scheme; therefore, we only expect signatories to have reported data on the donations that have occurred in the UK. Devices in scope for this analysis were laptops, phones, chrome books and tablets. Other devices that have been donated in this reporting period have not been included. We have removed donations where there is a risk of a possible double count, for example donations from device distributors and local authorities. The reliability of DSIT’s analysis is contingent upon signatories providing accurate and timely data submissions, hence we have used rounded figures. ↩