The BBC, ITV and Everyone TV are among the organisations backing a new report that states the UK’s digital participation is not a peripheral issue but central to growth, entertainment, public services and opportunity.
The report from The Connected Project said that digital transformation could save the government £45 billion a year.
Connected calls on the government to agree a shared national ambition for high digital participation, with agreed outcomes, dates and milestones.
It also said the government should back broadband to the hardest-to-reach households, and legislate to remove barriers to connectivity and enable safe, delegated digital access.
“Major transitions are now underway in telecommunications, broadcasting, financial services and public services—and AI is accelerating the pace of all of them. The challenge now is to ensure that participation keeps pace with technological change. Opportunities missed during this period may take many years to recreate,” said the report.
“Managed well, this transition is an opportunity to improve access to content, connectivity and services for everyone—which will also help improve digital participation beyond TV. Managed poorly, it risks creating a significant and lasting participation gap.”
Speaking about the report, Jonathan Thompson, CEO of Everyone TV, said: “Free, universal access to television has helped bring the UK together for generations. As viewing moves online, Everyone TV is helping ensure people can enjoy the benefits of TV in a digital world through Freely, making it simple, familiar and accessible, so everyone can continue to access trusted public service content that matters. Connected rightly shows that this kind of transition works best when access, inclusion and confidence are built-in from the start.”
The full report is available to read here.
