News 

A study undertaken by Bionic, a UK-based broadband comparison company, has revealed that Manchester is the UK’s most digitally inclusive city 

After discovering that 1 in 5 UK adults lack the most basic digital skills needed for everyday life, and a shocking 1 in 2 households in the UK have no internet access at all, Bionic dug deeper into how UK cities compared when it came to digital inclusion.  

In the study, the number of digital inclusion services in each city were examined, taking into account their population and size. Manchester topped the list, having 193 digital inclusion services for a population of 586,100. This was followed by Coventry, with 61 services for 345,300 people, and Bangor took third place with 5 services for 31,765 people.  

Although they have a significant number of digital inclusion services, London failed to make it to the top 20 as it had less services per person.  

On the on the other end of the scale, the town of Armagh in Northern Ireland topped the list for the worst digital inclusion support, no services for its 63,874 residents. This was followed by Ely and St Davids, both of which also had no services, despite having a great population.  

“Our study highlights the pivotal role of digital inclusion support in building a more connected society,” said Les Roberts, connectivity expert at Bionic. 

“The fact that Manchester, Coventry, and Bangor have all emerged as the top three cities for digital inclusion in the UK is undoubtedly thanks to the hard work of local charities and organisations in their areas, showcasing their commitment to bridging the digital divide,” he continued. 

Roberts emphasised that whilst it is encouraging to see progress in areas outside of London, the study highlights the need for digital inclusivity to be extended to every corner of the UK. 

Total Telecom runs Connected North, which brings together over 200 expert speakers and 2500 to the North’s dedicated digital economy event in Manchester. Join us in April– book your tickets here! 

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