New report examines the digital divide in county areas

Today BT and the County Councils Network releases a new report which examines the digital divide in county areas.

The report, released as part of the CCN Dialogues series, captures some of the key themes which emerged from a roundtable at CCN Conference at the end of 2021, attended by county leaders and chief executives alongside BT.

The group discussed how far the acceleration of the shift to digital during the pandemic may be exacerbating a ‘digital divide’ between those willing and able to use online services and those less able to.

Download the report here.

Reflecting on that discussion, the report identifies three key drivers of a digital divide:

• Connectivity
• Affordability
• Literacy

The report considers how councils can better support their communities to reduce digital inequality as well as making key policy recommendations for addressing the digital divide at local and national level.