The internet quickly established itself as the technological icon of information societies: ‘flat’, open to all and purpose-blind. On many levels the internet is a success story, bringing with it new freedoms, cost savings and new forms of social exchange. Yet some statistics tell a less encouraging story. In January to April 2006, 40 per cent of adults in Great Britain – approximately 19 million people – had not
used the internet in the past three months. In 2004 the Digital Inclusion Panel reported that around 78 per cent of people over 65 were digitally unengaged, with moderate or low access to the internet. And this problem will not inevitably disappear – the overall proportionof adults who are digitally excluded is only expected to decline from 39 per cent in 2005 to 31 per cent in 2015.

For those left behind in the wake of the information revolution, the reality of the internet has yet to live up to the promise. This report, commissioned by the Post Office, is a contribution to the debate around the pressing question of digital inclusion. Specifically, it explores what ‘digital exclusion’ means for older people and seeks to illuminate wider questions about how to support other social groups who are also likely to be on the wrong side of the digital divide.

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