Image source: Greater London Authority
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on businesses and public bodies to help more digitally excluded Londoners get online by donating unwanted mobile phones, laptops and other IT equipment.
He said that more than 100,000 Londoners have already been supported by Get Online London, the capital’s first ever digital inclusion service set up by City Hall and the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI).
But around two million residents across the capital still have very limited digital engagement, such as lacking their own device or facing difficulties with online services. Over 250,000 are completely offline, with no internet access at all, according to LOTI’s Research into Digital Inclusion in London.
Get Online London helps those across the capital who are digitally excluded by giving people the tools and knowledge to get online and participate in the digital world.
Working in partnership with digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation and LOTI, Get Online London has established 1,106 Digital Inclusion Hubs and a databank across every borough in London, providing free internet for Londoners who couldn’t otherwise afford to get online, and which have so far distributed 88,500 data packages.
It has also helped to provide 7,119 devices to get Londoners online.
Donation agreement
The mayor recently signed an agreement to donate more than 700 City Hall devices and has called on businesses and public bodies to follow suit, adding that the Metropolitan Police, Thames Water, London Councils and many borougs already contributing to Get Online London.
Khan said: “Demand for devices still far outstrips supply, so we must do more. That’s why I’m calling on businesses and public bodies to donate mobile phones, laptops and other IT kit to help us fix the digital divide and ensure access for all.
“Devices an organisation no longer needs can be essential lifelines for others, and together we can build a better and fairer London for everyone.”
