Abstract

This book developed from the “Digital Inclusion Policy and Research Conference 2021”. This was the third in a series of conferences that brought together, academic researchers, policy makers and practitioners. The chapters presented here represent the breadth of topics explored at the conference. The conference took place – online – at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result several the chapters here explore issues that arose or interventions that took place in response to COVID-19. This is not just a curiosity of timing but reflects a key shift in thinking, especially policy, thinking about digital exclusion and strategies for digital inclusion. COVID-19 lockdowns drove a range of responses. Many governments their agencies, health providers, community groups and businesses shifted “online”. There were many potential benefits with this shift – but it also left a lot of people behind. In fact, from our own experience and discussions with governments and civic stakeholders, we can confidently say that levels of digital inequality – not just absolute digital exclusion – caught many organisations off guard. Levels of digital access (e.g., broadband speeds), equipment, spaces in the home to use digital kit, distribution across families, as well as individual and household digital literacies were all found to be wanting or much lower than assumed.