Read: Bridging the digital divide is essential for levelling up all our communities

The pandemic has shown that tackling the digital divide should not just be an item on a wish list for the future. It is an economic and social imperative that can empower people to do the jobs they want while remaining rooted in the communities in which they want to live. 

COVID-19 highlighted the stark inequality between those businesses and individuals who have access to fast broadband, who have the skills and confidence as well as the equipment to make the most of the opportunities that digital connectivity presents, and those who do not. 

The gap is still particularly marked in rural areas compared to cities, although not always confined to them. Towns too have in the past lagged behind cities in reliability and speed of connections. But we have to level up the whole country on connectivity or we will lack the capacity to deliver the high wage, high skilled economy in every part of the UK that the Government has pledged to create, especially in growing sectors like tech and the creative industries. This better connectivity outside the major cities is surely key to enabling companies to develop workforces and drive growth beyond the usual economic hotspots. On a macro level, getting all parts of the UK properly connected is critical for a new, green economy. And it could give more individuals the chance to live where they choose rather than being part of a brain drain to big cities.  

On an individual level, too many adults still lack the devices and skills to allow them to participate in a digital society. Supporting a family’s online learning, arranging health appointments, applying for jobs or managing finances all become hugely challenging tasks if they’re not online and they can experience social isolation and anxiety as a result. The digital divide that has affected children’s education is well-documented and profound, placing them many learning hours behind their better-off contemporaries.   

In amongst all the budget announcements, there was an important commitment by the Government to give more than half a million more rural homes and businesses access to better broadband through the £5 billion scheme, Project Gigabit. It will enable people to start and run businesses online from anywhere in the UK.  Aimed at hard-to-reach areas like Dorset, Herefordshire and North Yorkshire, it follows the announcement of the first phase earlier this year which included Northumberland and Cornwall and Cumbria, the county I call home. It is a good start but the Government needs to maintain the momentum on rolling out improvements to these communities.  I know from my time as an MP representing the Furness area in south Cumbria how slow and hard fought the progress has been so far.  

Many of the businesses that have partnered with the Purpose Coalition to help level up the country are already working hard to close the digital divide. The Levelling Up Goals provide a common architecture for them to share their knowledge and experiences as they seek to break down the barriers that stop individuals and communities having equal access to opportunity. Goal 10 addresses the digital divide specifically, focusing on closing the gap in technology access, skills, opportunities and infrastructure.  

Cisco, a worldwide leader in the technology that powers the internet, has agreed to act as the Commissioner for Goal 10. Almost every internet connection in the UK touches Cisco technology and so it is well placed to make a difference in some of our least privileged communities. With an ambition to ensure that technology changes lives for the better, it invests in projects across the country that support innovation, including smart cities, transport, healthcare, manufacturing and digital skills. Its Networking Academy helps people of all ages to improve their digital skills and fulfil their potential. It particularly targets marginalised groups such as the homeless who are almost always digitally excluded and furthest away from a level playing field.    

Closing the digital divide makes good business sense if the country is to deliver the right expertise and skills for a 21st century economy. It is also crucial if we are to have equality in society where everyone with the potential, no matter what their background is or where they are from, can take advantage of the opportunities that a digitally connected economy will create.  

Rt Hon Lord Walney, UK government’s independent adviser on Political Violence and Disruption in the House of Lords.