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Digital inclusion

Including everyone in the digital world

 

Our statement

“We believe that everyone should be included in the digital world. We work hard to ensure consumers have access to our products and services, and that they have the skills and the opportunities to make the most of them; our e-learning programs for senior citizens and community internet access for underprivileged groups are great examples of our belief in promoting digital literacy.”

Why it matters

Digital technologies have brought massive benefits and become a fundamental part of modern life. Those people who do not have access to this technology, or who cannot make the best use of it, are excluded from many aspects of today’s society, which is why our efforts to promote digital inclusion are so important.

We provide advanced television, telephone, and broadband internet services to nearly 20 million customers - our business is about connecting people to the digital world. We believe that this amazing, but often complex, digital world should be for everyone. To make this vision a reality, we work to bring simplicity and a real human touch to everything we do.

We understand that digital inclusion is not just about access to technology. People may have full access to the technology they need, but if they do not have the skills or opportunities they need to use the services appropriately then digital exclusion will still be a problem. For us at Liberty Global, addressing the digital divide is also about giving people the skills and confidence they need to fully use digital technologies and to help them feel empowered to make the most of them.

Thus, our digital inclusion framework consists of widening access, enhancing skills and creating opportunities.

We promote digital inclusion – for our customers and for society. We focus our activities where we can through our business. But we recognize that these efforts are sometimes not enough. So we make additional investments in the communities in which we operate, through particular initiatives that are designed to address access, skills and opportunities.

What we are doing

Across our affiliates, we deliver community investment programs that promote digital inclusion through the framework of widening access, enhancing skills and creating opportunities. These programs range from e-learning for senior citizens to community access for lower-socio economic groups. Our objective is for at least half of our affiliates to deliver one or more programs under our digital inclusion framework by the end of 2010.