Virgin Media O2 is rolling out its 'national data bank' initiative across the UK, providing free mobile data and SIM cards to those having trouble connecting.
The program grew out of other actions taken by the company and the telecommunications industry in general to keep consumers connected during the pandemic, recognizing the growing importance of mobile telephony and broadband in everyday life.
As society becomes increasingly digital, Internet access is essential for education, work, and access to public services, and anyone who remains offline is at a disadvantage.
Virgin Media O2 wants the data bank to be like a food bank for data and is working with community groups to provide vouchers and SIM cards to those most at risk of "digital poverty".
After a successful three-month pilot test of the program with its partner Good Things Foundation, which works with up to 5,000 community groups across the UK, the database will now be more available.
The company donated € 500,000 to the foundation to cover the costs of the program and increased the value of its vouchers from 7 GB to 15 GB. The firm will also offer training in digital skills and has committed to donate 10 GB of data in the database for each new mobile rate subscribed by the end of January 2022.
"With many millions of people still facing digital exclusion, now is the time to come together and close the digital inequality gap, and build a lasting legacy to help end data poverty for more. Good," said Lutz Schüler , CEO of Virgin Media O2 . “The success of the pilot has shown us how important the national database is to those who need it and as it rolls out in the UK we want to do even more.
“Having enough data in our increasingly digital society is not a good thing, it is absolutely essential. With Christmas approaching and many are ready to spend the Christmas season alone, staying connected with loved ones and spending less on bills could make a huge difference and provide companionship to many for whom Christmas can be a lonely season.
“The national data bank, which can be considered a 'data food bank', is already doing a great job of bridging the digital divide. We are very proud to roll it out across the country and are delighted that Virgin Media O2 is increasing their data commitment this Christmas. Together we can come together to help solve the UK's data poverty problem once and for all. "
Schüler previously suggested that other operators could get involved in the initiative, making it a cross-sector effort. However, many operators have offered free data or affordable rates during the pandemic.
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