What Is the Digital Divide?
The term “digital divide” describes the structural gap between groups who have meaningful access to digital technology — devices, connectivity, skills, and confidence — and those who do not. It is different from digital exclusion, which describes the experience of individuals; the divide is about the broader patterns in society that determine who ends up on which side.
The divide is not simply about owning a smartphone. Two people can both own smartphones and still be on opposite sides of the divide if one has fast home broadband, digital literacy, and the ability to use services online, while the other has a cracked handset, expensive mobile data, and no confidence navigating a government website.
For a detailed definition of what individuals experience, see our article on what is digital exclusion.
What Causes the Digital Divide in the UK?
The divide is driven by overlapping structural factors:
Income and Affordability
Devices cost money. Home broadband costs money. Mobile data costs money. For households in the lowest income quintiles, these are significant expenses that compete with food, rent, and heating.
The Lloyds Consumer Digital Index consistently finds a strong correlation between household income and digital capability. Significantly higher proportions of adults in the lowest income brackets lack basic digital skills compared to those in the highest.
The irony is that being offline is often more expensive in the long run. People without internet access cannot shop for the cheapest energy tariffs, cannot access online-only bank accounts, and often have to travel to access services available online for free.
Age
Internet use in the UK falls sharply with age. OFCOM’s Access and Inclusion report shows that while internet use among 16–34 year olds is near-universal, usage among people aged 75 and over is significantly lower — with around a third of people in that age group saying they never use the internet.
Age-related barriers include unfamiliarity with digital interfaces designed for younger users, physical barriers such as poor vision or reduced dexterity, concerns about online scams, and simply not having grown up in a digital environment.
Geography
Broadband infrastructure is uneven. Rural and remote areas of the UK — particularly parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and rural England — have historically had poorer broadband speeds and higher rates of no connectivity. The government’s Project Gigabit aims to extend gigabit-capable broadband to 85% of UK premises by 2025, though rollout has been slower than planned, but rollout has been slower than planned.
Even within cities, there are significant variations. London boroughs with high concentrations of deprivation — Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney — have relatively high rates of digital exclusion despite sitting in one of the most connected cities in the world.
Disability
People with disabilities face multiple, overlapping barriers. Physical disabilities can make standard keyboards, screens, and pointing devices difficult or impossible to use without adaptive technology. Cognitive and learning disabilities can make navigating complex websites challenging. Sensory impairments — particularly visual impairment — require accessible design that many websites do not provide.
The Good Things Foundation notes that disabled adults are significantly more likely to be digitally excluded than non-disabled adults. Assistive technology exists but is often expensive and not routinely provided.
Skills and Confidence
Even with a device and a connection, many people lack the skills to use the internet safely and effectively. The Lloyds Consumer Digital Index measures “essential digital skills for life” — tasks like sending email, searching online, filling in forms, staying safe online, and communicating using video. An estimated 6–9 million UK adults cannot complete all five essential skill areas.
Confidence is closely related. People who have had a negative experience online — encountered a scam, been confused by a website, or felt patronised in a training session — often disengage entirely.
How Does the Divide Manifest Across Groups?
| Group | Primary barriers |
|---|---|
| Adults aged 75+ | Skills, confidence, physical access |
| Low-income households | Device affordability, data costs |
| People with disabilities | Physical access, accessible design, cost of assistive tech |
| Rural residents | Connectivity infrastructure |
| Recent migrants | Language, unfamiliarity with UK digital systems |
| Unemployed adults | Device access, skills, data costs |
These groups overlap. An older person on a pension living in a rural area faces barriers in multiple categories simultaneously.
What Is Being Done?
Several organisations and government initiatives are working to close the divide:
- OFCOM’s Universal Service Obligation — guarantees a right to request a decent broadband connection, though take-up and enforcement have been limited
- Good Things Foundation’s National Device Bank — redistributes refurbished devices to people in need through community organisations
- Good Things Foundation’s National Databank — provides free SIM cards with data to people who cannot afford mobile connectivity
- Government’s UK Digital Strategy — sets out aims around skills, infrastructure, and inclusion, though critics argue funding has been insufficient
- Organisations like Recycle4Charity — collect donated IT equipment from businesses and individuals, refurbish it, and distribute it free to digitally-excluded Londoners
Device donation is one of the most direct ways individuals and businesses can contribute to closing the divide. See how donated devices make a difference on our donated devices impact page, or find out how your business can get involved on our impact page.