Individuals are currently unable to directly apply to be provided with kit and connectivity. We are working with local Councils and voluntary sector organisations to identify and reach people who are the target groups to provide support.
We will also provide training to staff and volunteers working for organisations to be able to support individuals to use the internet safely, confidently and effectively.
For people who can’t get online and are at increased risk from coronavirus, a national helpline (0800 111 4000) is available to help people access services they need in their local community.
If you are supporting people to get online, there is some information available below to help help them to do this safely.
Many internet (broadband) providers are still accepting new customers, provided they do not need an
engineer to visit a home.
It is worth noting that BT Basic +
Broadband gives a low cost (£10.07) phone line and home broadband connection for individuals on specific
low-income government benefits. However, there is a relatively low 15GB data usage limits.
If you can’t get a new home broadband installation just now, you may want to consider using a mobile broadband option. However, this is likely to be more expensive and have
lower data usage limits than home broadband options.
If you want to know more about how to get better connectivity or improve your current service, Ofcom have published
some helpful information for consumers on how they can stay connected during the Coronavirus.
The UK Government and major telecommunication providers have issued a joint statement on the measures they are taking to protect vulnerable customers or those who may become vulnerable due to circumstances arising from COVID-19.
Here’s what individual telecommunication providers are doing to keep their customers connected:
If you’re helping someone learn how to use the internet and they are on mobile data then it might be helpful to
explain what ‘data’ means.
As a simple comparison, being online uses data in the same way a car uses petrol. Different things use different
amounts of data. This useful link from confused.com can show you how much data is used for different types of
activity. For example 1GB of data can cover up to:
44 hours of web browsing
51 hours of Facebook
4 hours of YouTube
videos
4 hours of video chat
Over 30,000 messages on WhatsApp
You do not need to worry about how much data you use if you are on an ‘unlimited’ home broadband
subscription. If you exceed your allowance, charges can be expensive, so unlimited data is preferable
wherever possible.
The following websites are useful in helping people develop their Essential Digital Skills, once they have foundation
skills to help them.
Learn My Way from Good Things
Foundation is a user-friendly platform to help those who are new to being online build their confidence and
develop their skills.
Digital Unite have a
range of resources that can help a new learner navigate the online world.
FutureLearn also has a range of amazing online
learning opportunities once someone has the basics.
Skills for Tomorrow from BT has a
great range of resources to help build digital confidence and skills
It is vital that people understand the risks in using the internet and what they can do to keep themselves
safe, such as creating safe passwords and understanding privacy online.
Think U Know aims to ensure that everyone
has access to practical information to help keep children young people safe online. They have a range
of resources categorized by age group, as well as resources for parents / carers and
professionals working with children.
Internet Matters offers a range of
practical tips and support for families engaging with the internet.
For people with accessibility needs, there are a lot of helpful resources to get online confidently.
Most devices have good built-in accessibility features and can be personalised to each
user’s needs. Things like increasing the font size, adjusting the touch settings, and changing the screen
colour can really help.
AbilityNet has a resources page on their website with a lot of helpful information all in one
place. Their ‘My Computer, My
Way’ section has support for learners with vision, hearing, cognitive and motor needs.
These BBC Guides are also
useful to help make devices more accessible.
Additional resources and links
ParentClub has a wide range of information
and support to help families during the coronavirus pandemic, with resources and links to support
home-learning.
This resource from Digital Unite explores resources for families with young children at home, to support learning and creating.
The BBC Bitesize website is great
for short, accessible education resources to support young people who are learning at home
The BBC provides excellent,
interactive courses to help people develop their English language skills.
Duolingo is a popular free app which also
encourages language learning, and can be used in multiple languages.
The Google Translate App not only helps with basic text translation, but it
offers audio translation, and can scan and translate documents.
