Coventry is among the top scoring cities when it comes to digital inclusion.
The city is ranked second in a table based on most digitally inclusive locations in the UK.
Coventry is working hard to reduce digital inequalities, to ensure Coventry residents have equal opportunities to access digital technologies, services and supports in a way that helps them in their daily lives.
#CovConnects is a city-wide digital inclusion programme working in partnership across public, private and VCSE sectors to work collaboratively to tackle digital exclusion in a person-centred, holistic approach.
Cllr Richard Brown, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “There are essential tasks that require an internet connection, and unfortunately there are many people who don’t have access to these basic services.
“I’m pleased that Coventry is making improvements to tackle digital poverty and ensuring that mobile data is more readily available for everyone to access basic government, council and financial systems.”
Coventry launched #CovConnects nine months ago. As part of the programme, #CovConnects has supported council services and VCSE organisations to join the National Databank programme. By increasing the number of Databanks and digital inclusion supports available across services and within communities, #CovConnects aims to improve digital inclusion for residents in a way that is meaningful to them.
This Uswitch mobiles analysis has looked at the number of National Databanks, Digital Inclusion Hubs, and Digital skill workshops on offer around the UK, compared against the average employment rate, and GINI coefficient in each of the locations, to determine where digital inclusion and exclusion is most prevalent.
With the Good Things Foundation aiming to help over 200,000 people by the end of 2023[2], Uswitch research reveals that the UK currently has a total of 2,712 databanks, digital inclusion hubs and digital skills workshops, with 361 of these being databanks.
Coventry sits just behind Manchester with an average of 10.7 Digital Inclusion Hubs per 100,000 people.