Free internet available for people in Leicestershire struggling with cost of living
People living in low income households can take advantage of the scheme.
People in Leicestershire who are struggling with the cost of living can get free internet access under a scheme created by Virgin Media O2 and a charity which aims to end the digital exclusion of the poorest in society.
Virgin Media O2 announced on Wednesday December 4th that three Leicestershire shops have been added to its national network of ‘Databank Hubs’ across the UK.
People can visit the O2 shops – in Leicester’s Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre, Market Place, in Loughborough and St Mary’s Place, in Market Harborough – to ask to join the scheme, which offers free O2 mobile data, texts and calls to people, regardless of their mobile operator.
People who are eligible – those over-18 and living in a ‘low-income’ household – can ask for a free O2 SIM with 25GB of monthly data for 12 months. According to the company, this will provide approximately 275 hours of internet browsing per month.
Virgin Media O2 launched the National Databank with a charity, the Good Things Foundation, in 2021. There are now around 3,000 National Databanks Hubs across the country, with more than 200,000 people taking advantage of the offer.
Nicola Green, from Virgin Media O2, said: “We’re helping people affected by data poverty to stay in touch with their loved ones, access critical services and be part of the digital world this Christmas and beyond. Virgin Media O2 is proud to be leading the way in tackling data and digital poverty across the region, where we’re building a fairer digital future for everyone.”
Helen Milner OBE, group CEO at the Good Things Foundation, said: “Virgin Media O2’s work to help reduce digital exclusion now allows the Databank to extend its impact to even more people and is a lifeline to those struggling to access the internet this Christmas. This means more people in need can access essential services and connect with loved ones.
“This work underpins Good Things Foundation’s ambition to help one million people benefit from the digital world by 2025. Together we can fix the digital divide for good.”