Segmenting non and limited internet users

There are an estimated

15.2 million people in the UK who are either non-users or limited users of the internet, based on academic analysis of the 2015 Ofcom Media

Literacy Survey

Introduction

These people are missing out on the benefits of using the internet, including

keeping in touch with friends and family, finding work, saving money and much

more.

• Non-users are those who do not have access to the internet at home or elsewhere

• And those who do not use the internet, even if they have access

• There are 7.8 million non-users in the UK

Who are non users of the internet?

Limited users are those who do very little with the internet, and who do it infrequently. These people are

in the lowest 20% of internet use. There are

7.4 million limited users of the internet in the UK

Who are limited users?

• The analysis, conducted by Good Things Foundation alongside Professor Simeon Yates and supported by BT, is brand new, and provides new insight into the demographics of non and limited users of the internet.

• This report builds on a separate statistical 'cluster analysis' of the Ofcom data by Professor Yates and uses a new 'Limited User' definition to segment the latest data in a new way, from raw data sets. As such, this is fresh insight into the data

About the analysis

Segmenting non users

Michael

Margaret

Non users and age

Non users and disadvantage

Non users and health

Non users and employment status

Non users – Income and social class

An estimated 3.5 million people

Non users and education

An estimated 6.1 million people

Regional Variations

There are estimated non-user populations of approximately 1 million people in each of the West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire and Humber regions. Despite London having a lower non-user population in proportional terms, there is still a significant non-user population in real terms of an estimated 860,000 people.

There are a number of reasons people aren’t online, including1:

• Motivation: 50% of people say they have no need for digital

• Skills: 18% are not online at home because of a lack of

online skills

• Access: 15% say cost is why they’re not online at home

1. Data taken from the Ofcom Communications Market Report 2016

Why aren’t people online?

“For people to thrive in today’s increasingly digital world, using the internet on a regular basis and using the breadth of what’s

on offer is vital.. If people aren’t using the internet weekly, they’re likely to be excluded in a range of ways - including having less money available, fewer opportunities to find work, and less

access to information that might make their lives better”

Helen Milner, Chief Executive, Good Things Foundation

Non users and disadvantage

“At BT, we already have a number of products and services like our Basic Broadband and online content that supports the

disadvantaged, and with the insight in this report we can ensure not only our current offerings support all segments, but it will

enable us to develop future product and services too.”

Ian Caveney, BT

Supporting the Disadvantaged

Segmenting limited users

Katie

Limited users and age

Limited users and health

An estimated 6.1 million people

Limited users and employment status

Limited users – Income and social class

An estimated 1.9 million people

Limited users and education

Regional Variations

There are regional hotspots for limited users in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber regions.

Thank you!