Vodafone has announced it will help connect one million people living in digital poverty.
For every new and existing Vodafone Together household, Vodafone will provide a person in need with a SIM card, loaded with 20GB of data plus free calls and texts each month for up to a year; ensuring the connectivity reaches those who need it most.
The pledge to connect one million people is the next stage of Vodafone’s long-term ambition to tackle digital exclusion.
Working together with our local support agencies we are distributing SIMs to people who could benefit most from the free connectivity.
In the last five years, the need for food banks in the UK has risen by 128%, and research in 2020 found that 95% of people at food banks in The Trussell Trust network were destitute, meaning they were unable to afford to eat or stay warm and dry. Connectivity is often a luxury these households cannot afford.
Ahmed Essam, Vodafone UK CEO, said: “Over the last year, people across the UK have realised just how important connectivity is, and the major role it plays in many aspects of our lives – work, play, education, healthcare and keeping in touch with those closest to us.
“We have supported many people since the start of the pandemic – the NHS, schoolchildren, people on Jobseeker’s Allowance.
“Today we are committing to helping one million more people get connected, and to developing the knowledge and confidence necessary in a society that increasingly demands a digital connection. Buy One, Give One puts tackling digital poverty, and doing the right thing, at the heart of our business.”
Alison Francis, Trustee at Taff Bargoed Foodbank said: “Over the last year, we’ve seen more people than ever struggling to afford the basics and forced to use food banks to get by. This isn’t right. We know households at food banks have, on average, only £57 a week after rent to cover their living costs, and one-in-five have no money coming in at all.
“In a society which depends on readily available internet connectivity to gain access to vital support, such as Universal Credit, having a smartphone isn’t a luxury – for many, it’s a lifeline.”
If you would benefit from this new imitative, ask you local support network to refer you in the usual way.
