plugged in and switched on? a look at recent research into internet and households june 2009
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UK online shoppers spent £4.6 billion during Christmas 2008 Source: IMRG Cap Gemini e-Retail Sales IndexTRANSCRIPT
Plugged in and switched on?
A look at recent research into internet and households
June 2009
Headlines
Headlines
UK online shoppers spent £4.6 billion during Christmas 2008
Source: IMRG Cap Gemini e-Retail Sales Index
Headlines
273,000 DVLA car tax discs are sold weekly
Source: Freshminds, April 2008
Headlines
10 million people visited Twitter in February 2009 (worldwide)
Traffic to Twitter in the UK increased by 974% in last year
Sources: 10m ComScore; 974% Hitwise
Headlines
In the UK we spent 119 billion minutes on the Internet in February 2009
Source: “The Global Online Media Landscape”, Nielsen, April 2009
Who’s connected?
Who’s connected?
70% of households online in UKFewer in North East : 60%
8 business lines to every 10 business premises7 in 10 in the North East
Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009, Point Topic June 2008
Who’s connected?
Online, 70
Not Online, 24.6
Signing up by Christmas, 5.4
figures from OFCOM / Mori 2009, assuming 6% connect in next 6 months
% of households
Who’s not connected?
29% adults don’t use the internet
25% of adults have never used the internet
35% of households don’t have the internet
UK Online Centres April 2009
Trend over past three years
ONS Survey Question 2006%
2007%
2008%
2009%
Not accessed in last three months
40 33 29
Never accessed 35 27 25
No household internet connection
43 39 35 30*
Sources: ONS internet access surveys, *Ofcom 2009
Who’s not connecting?
Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009
Who’s not connecting? 30% of households have no internet
Almost one fifth of these say they will connect in next 6 months
As high as 87% in parts of Northumberland Half of Sunderland households don’t have Broadband
Still almost a quarter of UK households unlikely to be online by Christmas 2009 Will be higher in the North East
Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009, Point Topic June 2008
Who’s not connecting? Older people
People who are not working
Households without children
‘Low-tech’ households without a games console, mobile phone, MP3 player etc.
Low income households
Households too far from telephone exchanges
Households without a phone line
Source: Ofcom, March 2009
Who’s not connecting?
70% of people over 65 have never used the internet
49% of everybody without internet access are in social grade DE
UK Online Centres April 2009
Who’s not connecting?
Women are less likely to use the internet than men 34% of women don’t, compared to 25% of
men
70% of people who live in social housing aren’t onlinea full 28% of everyone not online
Sources: 70% Oxford Internet Survey 2007
28% ICM 2008
Who’s not connecting?
Only 15% of people living in deprived areas have used a government online service or website in the last year
Source: Ofcom, March 2009
Who’s not connecting?
75% of everybody not online is not working
Although outnumbered by those who aren’t working, 26% of all employed people aren’t online
Source: ICM, 2008
Other channels
Other channels aren’t impacting on inclusion Only 11% of mobile phone users use it to
browse the internet (only 6% to read email)
99% of people using access devices such as mobiles and DTV to get online, also use the internet on a PC
Source: ONS 2006a
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
Why (C2DE) users started using the internet
“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
Direct financial benefit of using broadband in the home £276 per year (lowest income)
Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009SQW Consulting, September 2008
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
Internet users confidence in their ability to find work out-stripped non-users by 25%
Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009SQW Consulting, September 2008
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
Internet users confidence in their ability to find work out-stripped non-users by 25%
Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009SQW Consulting, September 2008
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
Direct financial benefit of using broadband in the home £276 per year (lowest income)
Sources: “Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009SQW Consulting, September 2008
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
Being able to use a computer and internet commands a salary premium of 3 – 10%
Centre for the Economics of Education, 2007
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
once becoming internet users
30% less worried about their work position
40% less concerned about their health
“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009
Does it matter if they don’t want to use it?
once becoming internet users
17% increase in communicating with friends
14% increase in communicating with family
“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009
So why don’t more people use the Internet?
C2DE non internet users said …
“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009
Barriers to connectingAccess
Skills & ConfidenceMotivation
Main reasons for not connectingOther 3
Skills 1.2
Not Interested 11.1
No Need 1.5
Perceived cost 7.8
figures from OFCOM / Mori 2009
% of households
Why don’t they connect?Motivation
‘it’s for younger people’
‘not interested’
‘wouldn’t use it enough’
‘don’t need it’
‘not bothered’
‘too complicated’
Access
‘internet too expensive’
‘don’t have a computer’
‘can’t afford a computer’
‘don’t want a 12 month contract’
Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009
So what might make a difference?
What would help them connect?Motivation
awareness of internet
demonstrate personal relevance
give experience of using the internet
training once engaged
mentoring and support
engage proxies as mentors
Access
free helpline accurate cost information
subsidised connectivity prepaid / ‘pay as you go’ internet lower cost computer
free training safe internet environment easy to use device
loan equipment
plugging ‘not spots’
Based on OFCOM / Mori June 2009, Sunderland Digital Challenge
Moving forward with inclusion……
Policy white papers Digital Inclusion / Digital
Action Plans Digital Britain
no compulsion, though
Research Ofcom / Mori UK Online Centres /
Freshminds Point Topic
National Initiatives Digital Challenge in
Sunderland DC10plus network Digital Inclusion Beacons
Local measures Birmingham, Manchester,
Norwich, Milton Keynes etc Northnet GTi
2009 position
Online70.0%
Connecting by Christmas5.4%
No Need1.5%
Not Connected24%
Perceived cost7.8%Not Interested
11.1%
Skills1.2%
Other3.0%
% households after Ofcom June 2009
Contact
Graham Jordan Partnership AnalystTyne and Wear ICT Partnership
www.twict.gov.uk [email protected]