Digital Inclusion Survey January 2023

Activity closed.

Background

The Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group (DIG), comprising all six Berkshire local authorities, are working with market providers and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's Barrier Busting Task Force to minimise barriers to Digital Infrastructure investments, reducing rollout costs and delays and leading to further investment into the county.

, which was designed to help us identify where there may be gaps in the digital infrastructure by asking how residents and businesses across Berkshire access and use the Internet.

The responses from the survey are being used to inform our Digital Strategy, and you can view the analysis of the results online.

Improving access to broadband, public access Wifi and mobile services is a key element of the Berkshire DIG work, and they are working with mobile operators and platform providers to provide better access in all Berkshire regions.

Why we want your views

As more and more services move online we need to understand why some residents aren't accessing them this way, whether that's because it's a struggle to afford Internet access, data or a device, such as a laptop or phone, they aren't confident or they don't feel safe online.

We also want to understand what people can do online, whether that's ordering food and gifts, online learning and job searching, or contacting friends and family or a healthcare professional.

Sharing your views and experiences with us, or helping someone who may not usually go online to do so, will help us understand where and how we need to focus resources to improve services and provide solutions.

We'd also like to know if your habits have changed since the pandemic e.g. has the amount of time you spend on the Internet or streaming TV shows increased, or you have become more confident using online services such as banking or booking travel or holidays?

What people can, and can't, do online is important to us and we want to hear about it.

How to take part

If you'd like to share your experiences with us, please complete online our survey, which should only take about 5-10 minutes.

You can download a version of the survey for someone who doesn't go online here. Please send the completed survey to Berkshire DIG Digital Inclusion Survey, Ground Floor (ICT Area), Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5LD.

Alternatively, call 01635 503894 to request a paper copy.

The closing date is midnight on Sunday, 12 March 2023

For any queries about the survey, please email ContactUS@BerkshireDIG.Org.UK

What happens next

Once we've reviewed and analysed all of the responses, we'll share them on this page and social media in March 2023. You'll be able to find them on social media by searching hashtag #digitalinclusionBerkshire. A full list of the anonymised responses will be available upon request by emailing us at Contactus@BerksDIG.Org.uk

To find out more about Berkshire DIG please visit our website. You can also follow us across social media by searching for hastag #ConnectedBerkshire or @BerksDIG. We are on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.