Plugged in and switched on? A look at recent research into internet and households June 2009

Headlines

UK online shoppers spent £4.6 billion during Christmas 2008 Source: IMRG Cap Gemini e-Retail Sales Index

Headlines 273,000 DVLA car tax discs are sold weekly Source: Freshminds, April 2008

Headlines 10 million people visited Twitter in February 2009 (worldwide) Traffic to Twitter in the UK increased by 974% in last year Sources: 10m ComScore; 974% Hitwise

Headlines In the UK we spent 119 billion minutes on the Internet in February 2009 Source: “The Global Online Media Landscape”, Nielsen, April 2009

Who’s connected?

70% of households online in UK  Fewer in North East : 60% 8 business lines to every 10 business premises  7 in 10 in the North East Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009, Point Topic June 2008

Who’s connected? figures from OFCOM / Mori 2009, assuming 6% connect in next 6 months % of households

Who’s not connected? 29% adults don’t use the internet 25% of adults have never used the internet 35% of households don’t have the internet UK Online Centres April 2009

Trend over past three years ONS Survey Question 2006 % 2007 % 2008 % 2009 % Not accessed in last three months Never accessed No household internet connection * Sources: ONS internet access surveys, *Ofcom 2009

Who’s not connecting? Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009

Who’s not connecting? 30% of households have no internet  Almost one fifth of these say they will connect in next 6 months  As high as 87% in parts of Northumberland  Half of Sunderland households don’t have Broadband Still almost a quarter of UK households unlikely to be online by Christmas 2009  Will be higher in the North East Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009, Point Topic June 2008

Who’s not connecting? Older people People who are not working Households without children ‘Low-tech’ households without a games console, mobile phone, MP3 player etc. Low income households Households too far from telephone exchanges Households without a phone line Source: Ofcom, March 2009

Who’s not connecting? 70% of people over 65 have never used the internet 49% of everybody without internet access are in social grade DE UK Online Centres April 2009

Who’s not connecting? Women are less likely to use the internet than men  34% of women don’t, compared to 25% of men 70% of people who live in social housing aren’t online  a full 28% of everyone not online Sources: 70% Oxford Internet Survey % ICM 2008

Who’s not connecting? Only 15% of people living in deprived areas have used a government online service or website in the last year Source: Ofcom, March 2009

Who’s not connecting? 75% of everybody not online is not working Although outnumbered by those who aren’t working, 26% of all employed people aren’t online Source: ICM, 2008

Other channels

Other channels aren’t impacting on inclusion Only 11% of mobile phone users use it to browse the internet (only 6% to read ) 99% of people using access devices such as mobiles and DTV to get online, also use the internet on a PC Source: ONS 2006a

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?

Why (C2DE) users started using the internet “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? Direct financial benefit of using broadband in the home £276 per year (lowest income) Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009 SQW Consulting, September 2008

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? Internet users confidence in their ability to find work out-stripped non-users by 25% Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009 SQW Consulting, September 2008

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? Internet users confidence in their ability to find work out-stripped non-users by 25% Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009 SQW Consulting, September 2008

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? Direct financial benefit of using broadband in the home £276 per year (lowest income) Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009 SQW Consulting, September 2008

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? Being able to use a computer and internet commands a salary premium of 3 – 10% Centre for the Economics of Education, 2007

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? once becoming internet users  30% less worried about their work position  40% less concerned about their health “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Does it matter if they don’t want to use it? once becoming internet users  17% increase in communicating with friends  14% increase in communicating with family “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

So why don’t more people use the Internet?

C2DE non internet users said … “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Barriers to connecting Access Skills & Confidence Motivation

Main reasons for not connecting figures from OFCOM / Mori 2009 % of households

Why don’t they connect? Motivation ‘it’s for younger people’ ‘not interested’ ‘wouldn’t use it enough’ ‘don’t need it’ ‘not bothered’ ‘too complicated’ Access ‘internet too expensive’ ‘don’t have a computer’ ‘can’t afford a computer’ ‘don’t want a 12 month contract’ Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009

So what might make a difference?

What would help them connect? Motivation awareness of internet demonstrate personal relevance give experience of using the internet training once engaged mentoring and support engage proxies as mentors Access free helpline accurate cost information subsidised connectivity prepaid / ‘pay as you go’ internet lower cost computer free training safe internet environment easy to use device loan equipment plugging ‘not spots’ Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009, Sunderland Digital Challenge

Moving forward with inclusion…… Policy white papers  Digital Inclusion / Digital Action Plans  Digital Britain no compulsion, though Research  Ofcom / Mori  UK Online Centres / Freshminds  Point Topic National Initiatives  Digital Challenge in Sunderland  DC10plus network  Digital Inclusion Beacons Local measures  Birmingham, Manchester, Norwich, Milton Keynes etc  Northnet  GTi

2009 position % households after Ofcom June 2009

Contact Graham Jordan Partnership Analyst Tyne and Wear ICT Partnership