Ofcom launches Digital Participation Consortium

More older people are going online

Communications watchdog Ofcom has formally launched the Digital Participation Consortium, the latest initiative in the Digital Britain plan aimed at encouraging more people to use the internet.

The new consortium was launched by Ofcom chairman Colette Bowe and minister for Digital Britain Stephen Timms, with the aim “to increase the reach, breadth and depth of digital technology use” across the UK. The group now has more than 50 members, including major media and communications companies such as BT, BBC, Channel 4 and BSkyB.

The announcement follows the start on Tuesday of Martha Lane Fox’s Race Online 2012 programme, part of her role as the government’s digital inclusion champion.

Further events in the push to get more people online include the BBC launching its Online Access Forum on 16 October and UK Online Centres’ Get Online Day on 23 October.

New research by Ofcom suggests that the digital divide is slowly narrowing. The survey suggests that household take-up of the internet among older adults aged 65 and over has grown to 41 per cent from 26 per cent in 2007. The proportion of people in low-income households accessing the web has also increased to 51 per cent from 35 per cent two years ago.

But both figures are still much lower than the overall number of UK adults online, which stands at 73 per cent.

"The benefits to being online such as access to health, financial, recruitment and communication services can significantly enhance a person's quality of life both economically and socially,” said Timms.

“The Digital Participation Consortium will lead this project to ensure all the UK can enjoy the benefits of the internet for a brighter digital future."