Free Broadband Not Enough To Connect Millions

Recent research from Ofcom has found that 43% of UK adults who are currently without internet access would not connect even if they were offered free broadband and a free computer.

Throughout the UK there are 17 million people (30% of adults) who do not have any internet access, which means that over 7 million Brits would not use the internet even if they were given free broadband.

The research is bad news for the government as they try to entice more homes to go online and use the government’s online services.

The main group of people who are not connected to the Internet are the older retired’s who do not understand how it works, with many saying that they had never used a computer before in their life.

Ofcom’s Market Development Partner , Peter Phillips, said, “Broadband is becoming increasingly important to people’s ability to participate in the economy and society. The report shows that some creativity will be required if we wish to capture the imaginations of those who have yet to engage with the benefit’s the internet may bring.”

The results of the survey aren’t all negative however. Around one in five of the adults that are offline at the moment said that they were planning to go online within the next six months.