Digital transformation is rapidly changing society, including public service delivery and how people engage with education, healthcare, and council services. This was particularly felt by the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the digitalisation of public services – education and healthcare, most notably – was quickly accelerated.[1] The Governments 2022-2025 plan, ‘Transforming For a Digital Future: 2022-2025’, sets out, among other things, an ambitious vision for transforming public services by making them fit for a data-driven and digitalised society. This ambition is grounded in the recognition that digitalisation has transformed the private sector by reducing cost and speeding up delivery, and “Governments must do the same” for the public sector so that “every penny [citizens] pay in tax is used as productively and efficiently as possible”.
It has been argued that such far-reaching digitalisation, or what has come to be called e-governance, may carry a range of benefits.[2] It may improve efficiency, enable information sharing, and allow for further integration and personalisation of service delivery. Digitalisation can increase engagement between the public and government, and greater participation by the public in the political sphere.[3] It has also been articulated in terms of a greater “information flow” from citizen to government, government to citizen, and within governments themselves.[4] Recently, proponents of a further digitalisation of public services have highlighted how such a transition may aid in boosting wider sustainability efforts and accelerating the low-carbon transition.[5] It may, furthermore, allow for targeted, data-driven decision making, such that proactive measures can be taken to allocate the right resources towards health, education, and other societal necessities. In the United Kingdom, we can find numerous examples of e-governance and the digitalisation of public services; NHS Digital, the digitalisation of tax services, transport services, and social services.[6]
Yet, without paying attention to the unequal distribution of digital skills across the United Kingdom, this vision risks exacerbating digital poverty: the inability to fully interact with the online world and reap the societal and economic benefits of digital engagement.[7]
Indeed, according to Lloyds Banking Groups Essential Digital Skills Survey (2023), 25% of the UK population have low levels of digital capability and are likely to struggle with online services.[8] 2.1 million are offline, and around 4.7 million cannot connect to Wi-Fi. A variety of causes have been linked to this multifaceted problem. For example, as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, one in three UK adults has been forced to cut back their spending on digital access, with some switching to cheaper broadband deals and others downgrading their devices.[9] Others remain offline due to a fear of fraud.[10] A 2019 report by the Good Things Foundation found that a lack of motivation constitutes a significant barrier to digital activity.[11]
Despite progress being made, there is still a digital divide between rural and urban areas in terms of digital skills proficiency and access to high-quality internet connectivity. According to a recent report – Connecting the Countryside – nearly half of the rural areas (46%) are classified as “5G total not-spots”, compared to 2.7% of urban constituents. In rural areas, only 21% of households have access to superfast broadband compared to 86% of urban households.[12] According to Stephens and Mankee-Williams of Falmouth University, rural communities, which often lack digital training hubs, are on average more likely to experience a lack of digital literacy.[13] Digital exclusion is also exacerbated by age, where 3.9 million people over 65 do not use the internet at home, and by socio-economic factors, with 2.4 million households from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds not using the internet at home. People with disabilities are, moreover, “twice as likely to lack the basic digital skills needed to navigate life online”.[14]
Such disparity in digital literacy and access to the internet poses significant challenges to the implementation of digital public services. Without a credible strategy, this process risks exacerbating the digital divide, rendering it more difficult for the most vulnerable members of society to enjoy full civic participation. The Communications and Digital Committee stated in sharp words regarding the governments aspiration to global digital leadership that it “does not have a credible strategy to tackle digital exclusion” and that it is “allowing millions of citizens to fall behind”.[15]
The digital divide, being a multidimensional problem, requires a pluralistic approach. First, we need a more complete understanding of when someone is at risk of experiencing digital poverty. To further this, Nuffield Trust and partners developed the Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) to establish a UK benchmark for digital inclusion at a household level. A minimum digital standard of living “includes, but is more than, having accessible internet, adequate equipment, and the skills, knowledge and support people need. It is about being able to communicate, connect and engage opportunities safely and with confidence”.[16] This may also require, as recommended by the British Academy, the creation of a “Digital Inclusion Unit” to bring together experts of local authorities and government departments, regulators and agencies, and academics to analyse and coordinate best-practice recommendations for mitigating digital poverty.[17] We agree with the British Academy that digital access itself should be “considered a critical public service”, alongside other public services.
Given that the cost-of-living crisis has pushed more people into digital poverty, affordable connectivity constitutes a key to further digital inclusion. We need to make people aware of social tariffs, including cheaper broadband deals and phone packages. Many of those who are eligible for such discounted deals, including those claiming Universal Credit or Pension Credit, are not aware of social tariff options. According to Ofcoms research (2023), “awareness of social tariffs among eligible customers has improved, rising from 16 percent in February 2022 to 47 percent in April 2023.” Yet, this suggests that more than half of eligible households, during this period, were unaware of these deals.[18]
The work on ensuring broadband connectivity across all of the UK needs to continue. Rural communities, as mentioned above, are still particularly affected by poor connectivity, both in terms of broadband and 4G/5G access. Project Gigabit, initially launched in 2020, seeks to ensure reliable broadband to every corner of the United Kingdom, helping broadband providers to supply digital infrastructure at a lower cost. This, and similar ventures, are needed to close the rural-urban digital divide.[19]
The strengthening of public services is intrinsically linked to digital inclusion, and we need to ensure that the ongoing transformation of society does not widen the digital divide and that everyone, regardless of background, can participate in this era of digitalisation.
Policy proposals
References
[1] House of Lords. (2019). A critical juncture for public services: lessons from COVID-19. Link
[2] Trade Union Congress. (2020). Opportunities and threats to the public sector from digitisation. Link
[3] Digital Inclusion Research Hub. (2019). Link Digitalisation and Democracy: Key Issues in E-Governance and E-Participation
[4] Salesforce. (Date unavailable). Of the People: Advantages and Obstacles of Making the Transition to E-Government. Link
[5] Global Government Forum. (2021). The twin transition: digital transformation in government can also boost sustainability. Link
[6] Govnet Technology. (2023). Benefits of Digital Transformation in the UK Public Sector Piers Kelly. Link
[7] Digital Poverty Alliance. (2022). Digital Poverty Alliance Evidence Review 2022. Link
[8] Lloyds Bank. (2023). 2023 Consumer Digital Index. Link
[9] Digital Inclusion Research Hub. (2023). Link
[10] Lloyds Bank. (2023). 2023 Consumer Digital Index. Link
[11] Good Things Foundation. (2018). Motivational barriers of non-users of the internet. Link
[12] Good Things Foundation. (Date unavailable). Doing Digital Inclusion: Rural Handbook.Link
[13] Stephens, M., and Mankee-Williams, A. (2021). Link
[14] House of Lords. (2023). Digital exclusion. Link
[15] House of Lords. (2023). Digital exclusion.
[17] The British Academy. (2023). Create Digital Inclusion Unit to tackle growing problem of digital inequality, the British Academy urges Government. Link
[18] House of Lords. (2023). Digital exclusion. Link
[19] Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. (2023). Link
Head of Policy
Mikael is an editor and researcher at the University of St Andrews and the Director and Founder of the Digital Inclusion Research Hub. He has published several articles and two books on the intersection between religious studies and philosophy. He is currently managing a non-profit which explores the impact of the digital divide on UK society and economy.
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