Government Reveal Progress of UK Digital Inclusion Action Plan After 1 Year

The UK Government has published its first annual progress report on their new Digital Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), which was launched in Feb 2025 alongside support from various broadband and mobile providers. The plan contained a series of “urgent actions” that it hoped would “begin fixing digital exclusion“ and the new report appears to be broadly positive.

The DIAP itself includes various measures, such as funding for local initiatives targeted to the most digitally-excluded groups (e.g. the elderly and low-income households), partnering with the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) to provide laptops to digitally excluded people, ensuring online services are simple to use (with offline options too) and extracting various supportive pledges from key technology and telecoms companies etc.

The first annual progress report on all this broadly outlines what the government has done so far, particularly in terms of its first 5 actions, leadership actions and industry pledges. Overall, the government claims to have made “strong progress across all areas, with all government commitments either fully delivered or on track,” although this is somewhat the equivalent of a student marking their own homework.

Secretary of State, Liz Kendall said:

“We want everyone in the country to be able to take advantage of opportunities of being online. Whether that is staying connected with family and friends, finding work, accessing government services or getting better prices for everyday goods.

Our digital inclusion efforts are already changing people’s lives for the better. But we are determined to go even further so we can we build a future that works for all.”

DIAP Progress on Key Areas (1st Year)

First 5 actions

Leadership actions

Industry pledges

Admittedly some of these pledges are really just a continuation of what network operators have already been doing for the past few years, although we have our doubts about the Government’s ability to resolve the issue completely. This is because we’ve seen lots of initiatives aimed at improving digital skills over the years, but they often struggle when it gets to the more challenging questions.

For example, it’s often overlooked that not everybody actually wants to go online and nobody should be forced to use the internet, even if this may leave them at a disadvantage. Similarly, digital skills can change with age, as well as disability (the two are often associated). For example, you might be digitally skilled today, but this can go in reverse when you develop a disability (loss of sight, strokes etc.), which can make life a lot more difficult.

The reality is that some people will always require offline support in order to achieve what society asks or expects of us, although the Government does seem to recognise this. “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,” said the report.

The full report goes into a lot more detail on all this, but we’ll include an update on the various pledges from mobile and broadband operators below.

DIAP Industry Pledges from UK Telecoms Providers (Progress)

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 and 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 UK 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.