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Manifesto for a networked nation
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Executive Summary

The Summary

This Manifesto for a Networked Nation challenges people and organisations in every sector and in every corner of our country to work together to inspire, encourage and support as many people as possible to get online by the end of the Olympic year.

 

It is our ambition that by the end of this Parliament:

  • everyone of working age should be online &
  • no one should retire without web skills.

 

Years of research indicates that the same three reasons prevent more people getting online, a lack of: motivation, access or skills.

Below we outline the moral and economic case for urgent action, and indicate how you can help:

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The Detail

  • HOW BIG IS THE CHALLENGE?

    HOW BIG IS THE CHALLENGE?


    The UK has 40 million internet users, with 30 million people using the web every day, and it has some of the world’s cheapest broadband prices. Seven million of us have sold an item on eBay. Half of all leisure travel is now booked online and seven million job adverts were placed online last year.

    However, there are 10 million adults in the UK who have never used the internet: over a fifth of the population and the size of our 5 biggest cities combined. Four million of those are among the most disadvantaged: 39% are over 65, 38% are unemployed and 19% are families with children.


    Use of the web decreases with age and increases with income. While only 10% of 16 to 24 year olds are offline, that rises to 50% of 65 to 74 year olds. Other characteristics of non-users are:

     

    • 47% of those living in households earning less than £11.5k do not use the internet compared to only 4% of those with an income of over £30k.
    • 48% of disabled people are offline.
    • The North of England, urban areas of Scotland and South Wales have the highest concentrations of working age people who are offline.
    • Rural and coastal areas have the highest concentrations of older residents who don’t use the internet
  • WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

    WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

    The economic and social case for a networked nation is overwhelming. Access to the internet can create benefits through higher educational attainment for children, access to employment opportunities for workless adults, improved standards of living for older people and increased democratic engagement and access to information. Furthermore, it can provide a lifeline from social isolation for the 3.1m people in the UK over 65 who go longer than a week without seeing a friend, neighbour of family member.

    PwC estimates that the total economic benefits of getting everyone in the UK online is in excess of £22bn. The specific benefits are:

     

    CONSUMER BENEFITS

    • Offline households are missing out on average consumer savings of £560 per year.
    • 3.6 million low-income households are missing out on total savings from shopping and paying bills online of over £1 billion a year.

    EDUCATION BENEFITS

    • If the 1.6 million children who live in families without the internet got online at home, it could boost their total lifetime earnings by over £10 billion.

    EMPLOYEMENT BENEFITS

    • If just 3½% of unemployed non internet users found a job by getting online it would deliver a net economic benefit of £560 million.
    • People with good ICT skills earn between 3% and 10% more than people without such skills.
    • If every non internet user in employment got online, each of them would increase their earnings by an average of over £8,300 in their lifetime and deliver between £560 million and £1,680 million of overall economic benefit.

    IMPROVED GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

    • Each contact and transaction with government switched online could generate savings of between £3.30 and £12. There are an estimated 1.8 billion contacts with public services every year of which only about 20% are online.
    • If all offline adults began using the internet and made just one online contact each month with government instead of a telephone or face to face contact it would save an estimated £900 million per annum.
  • RECOMMENDATIONS

    RECOMMENDATIONS

    Lack of motivation, access and skills are the key reasons why people don’t get online.

    Inspiring people and nudging them towards trying the internet for the first time is vital:

    • 59% of people don’t see a reason to get online, and this rises to 63% of those 65-74 and over.
    • 14% of people cite cost as a barrier, but this increases in younger groups with it being an issue for 51% of those aged 25-34. 
    • A quarter of people say they don’t have the necessary skills, rising to 33% of over 75s.

    Our specific recommendations for action are based on what works to tackle these barriers:

     

    INSPIRING MORE PEOPLE TO TRY THE INTERNET

    1. Leaders at every level of industry, government and the charitable sector should embed manifesto challenges into corporate plans and make Race Online 2012 pledges by the end of year 2010.

    2. Industry and media partners should develop specific strategies to communicate the positive benefits of the internet to 10 million potential new online consumers.

    3. Funding organisations should develop plans to support charities, social enterprises and community groups to raise awareness of the benefits of internet use to the people whom they serve.

     

    ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO ONLINE AND REWARDING THEM FOR DOING SO

    4. Government should expect people of working age to use some key online services and signpost those who need help to web access and training points.

    5. We should expect adults starting informal or formal education, training and welfare to work programmes to have basic IT skills.

    6. Race Online 2012 partners from all sectors should develop a package of rewards for going online and passing on web skills.

     

    SUPPORTING THOSE WHO NEED A HELPING HAND

    7. People must know where they can find local web access and/or training points and where they can go to get assistance with online public services, supported by local digital champions in every community.

    8. We should work towards ensuring that people have easy and affordable access to the internet in the same way they can access water, electricity or gas.

    9. Industry should ensure that products and services are usable and accessible for older and disabled people.

  • WHAT CAN WE BUILD ON?

    WHAT CAN WE BUILD ON?

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    We must recycle and join up our existing community IT and human infrastructure in schools, libraries, community centres, health centres, Citizens Advice Bureaux and Post Offices. We are beginning to do this. The Government’s investment of £30 million in community internet access and training through UK Online centres will help more than one million new people to get online.

    In March, we launched the Race Online 2012 campaign and, already, more than 1,000 partners have pledged to help more than 1.9 million new people get online by the end of Olympic Year

     

    We are looking for partners from all sectors -  industry, charity and government - to help us achieve our goal of getting as many of the 10 million people in the UK that don't have access to the internet online by the end of the 2012 Olympic year. Please join us now and make your promise: