Making the Internet Accessible Will Have Far Reaching Benefits

The Internet has undergone extraordinary growth over the past decade. The recently published Digital Britain report highlighted just how significant the Internet is to our everyday life (for those of us who have access).

In the last year alone, the number of UK households with Internet access grew by 1.2 million and, with two thirds of homes now online, over 70 per cent of us use the Internet regularly.

Despite all the remarkable progress in the dissemination of the Internet, ten million people in the UK have still never been online. Of those, four million come from the most economically disadvantaged segments of society.

A study by the Office for Digital Inclusion has recently quantified the benefits of accessing the Internet, which include - but are not limited to - better education opportunities, job prospects and prosperity.

Being online can connect people to valuable information and save money on a variety of every-day tasks such as grocery shopping, paying bills or phone calls.

However, once people have access to broadband, they still need training to ensure proficiency as well as safety. Research from Ipsos MORI and UK online centres shows that schemes that provide Internet training and support can boost people's confidence, allowing them to proceed to further training, receive qualifications and ensure they are ready for the modern workplace.