Digital Divide: Mapping the geodemographics of internet accessibility across Great Britain

TL;DR

This paper develops a sociodemographic geodemographic classification to map digital accessibility across Great Britain, identifying at-risk communities and aiding targeted policy interventions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, solely sociodemographic measure of digital accessibility at the district level, validated with telecommunications and internet usage data.

Findings

Identified three at-risk clusters: 'Metropolitan Minority Struggle', 'Indian Metropolitan Living', 'Pakistani-Bangladeshi Inequality'

Validated clusters with nationwide telecommunications and ONS internet data

Provides a new methodology for digital divide analysis using open-source sociodemographic variables

Abstract

Aim: This research proposes the first solely sociodemographic measure of digital accessibility for Great Britain. Digital inaccessibility affects circa 10 million people who are unable to access or make full use of the internet, particularly impacting the disadvantaged in society. Method: A geodemographic classification is developed, analysing literature-guided sociodemographic variables at the district level. Analysis: Resultant clusters are analysed against their sociodemographic variables and spatial extent. Findings suggest three at-risk clusters exist, "Metropolitan Minority Struggle", "Indian Metropolitan Living" and "Pakistani-Bangladeshi Inequality". These are validated through nationwide Ofcom telecommunications performance data and specific case studies using Office for National Statistics internet usage data. Conclusion: Using solely contemporary and open-source sociodemographic variables, this paper enhances previous digital accessibility research. The identification of digitally inaccessible areas allows focussed local and national government resource and policy targeting, particularly important as a key data source and methodology post-2021, following the expected final nationwide census.