19% in Rural North West England Struggle with Internet Affordability

A recent study by researchers at Lancaster University has found that 28% of the population in rural North West England are not confident in completing key tasks online (e.g. applying for jobs) and 19% found either their PC, broadband, smartphone or mobile data unaffordable – rising to 36% among households with an income of under £20k.

The survey, which was conducted with over 500 rural residents living in the North West (i.e. a fairly small sample size), also discovered that 13% of the sample have poor quality or no Wi-Fi and 1 in 5 have no mobile broadband connection.

However, lack of confidence and skills were found to be a greater barrier to accessing digital services than connectivity. Some 21% said they had no confidence in skills to use the internet for work or study (rising to 38% among those with low incomes), while 23% had no confidence in holding online video calls (44% for low income users) and 26% had no confidence in looking or applying for jobs online (42% for low income users).

Meanwhile, for those that had access to an internet connection and a related device (computer, smartphone etc.), 73% reported there is a strong enough signal for them to use mobile broadband, while 71% of those with WiFi at home (broadband) described the connection as good quality. But 9% reported poor quality WiFi (this could be either an issue with wireless coverage or the broadband side) and 5% didn’t have any WiFi.

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation, said:

“People living in rural areas tend to face higher costs for fast broadband connectivity, which can be enough to deter some from engaging with the online world completely and this could worsen as families struggle to make ends meet during the cost of living crisis. If Government ambitions to Level Up the UK are to become a reality, clearly more needs to be done to provide people living in the rural North West with the digital skills and access they need.”

The report then goes on to make some perfectly reasonable recommendations around all this.

Recommendations for local authorities and Government

➤ Ofcom to ensure providers openly disclose the full range of charges included within mobile or broadband packages and ensure this information reaches vulnerable consumers in clearly understandable terms

➤ Help to ensure claimants of Universal Credit know they may be eligible for social tariffs which allow individuals to benefit from broadband connection at a reduced cost

➤ Job search platforms, recruiters and local bodies such as councils and LEPs to work in partnership to build confidence among rural residents in searching and applying for jobs online, through outreach activities in local settings and at home

➤ Local authorities to provide educational outreach to rural residents at the greatest risk of digital poverty, to equip them with the key skills needed to search and apply for jobs online

➤ Local authorities to collaborate with third parties to undertake peer-to-peer outreach to boost confidence in accessing digital services, using intermediaries and trusted individuals and via accessible community settings