As entertainment, information and public services move increasingly online and across different platforms, the UK needs to ensure that citizens and consumers are not left behind.

Digital exclusion for the individual means being denied access to potential social and economic benefits. For the UK as a whole it means that we may not realise our potential in creating and exploiting a knowledge economy.
 
The creation of a digitally inclusive society is therefore a key strategic objective for the government and many of its agencies, as well as industry.

As part of this debate BSG looks to propose measures that will allow the UK to maximise the benefits of an inclusive broadband-enabled society.

Current work from the BSG in this area has examinined the role of public sector interventions in deploying next generation broadband, as part of its next generation broadband work programme. The final report of this work was published at the BSG Conference 'Beyond Pipe Dreams? Prospects for next generation broadband in the UK'.

The BSG has also given evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee's inquiry in to digital inclusion in Wales. The evidence session is available online; the BSG also provided a written submission to the inquiry.

Digital Participation

The issue of digital inclusion was incorporated into the broader debate captured by the government's Digital Britain Report.

The report acknowledged that take-up and use of broadband was a crucial part of the wider debate and established a new Consortium for Digital Participation, to expand the reach and breadth of broadband use in the UK.

The Digital Britain Report made up to £12m to the Consortium over three years to achieve this through a mix of social marketing and targeted outreach. The BSG is a member of the Consortium, contributing to the forthcoming National Plan on Digital Participation, and looks forward to working with the Consortium on how best the funding can be used to increase digital participation.

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