Made for everyone
Unlocking digital
access and
confidence
We live in a disparate digital world
Across the UK, being connected shapes how people live, work and stay in touch. Yet millions of people and small businesses are still being left behind. This is the reality of the digital divide – a widening gap between those who can fully take part in the digital world, and those who can’t.
For many, this isn’t a choice, but the result of affordability challenges, limited skills, unreliable connections or a lack of confidence. And when people are left offline, their individual vulnerabilities are exposed – whether that’s a single parent cut off from essential services or an older adult left increasingly isolated in a world that has moved on without them.
But the impact goes far beyond single individuals. It leaves small businesses unable to accept online payments or reach new customers, while marginalised communities become further underserved by a lack of equal access. Over time, this inequality can eat away at community resilience, creating a widening gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.
3.7m
families now sit below the minimum digital living standard3
68%
believe that keeping pace with technology is vital for advancing in the modern world4
Being online is not a luxury, it’s an essential
Digital inclusion is about ensuring everyone has access to the tools, skills and support needed to participate in the digital world – regardless of income, age, location or ability.
Thanks to reliable connectivity, affordable tariffs, hands-on skills and community programmes, Vodafone and Three have been helping people get online, then stay there, for years.
Take Vodafone’s everyone.connected initiative, for example. Having launched in 2021, it’s since met its target of helping more than 4 million people and businesses cross the digital divide.
“The data, devices and skills support I’ve had has given me a new lease of life and a sense of freedom. Now, I’m living life on my own terms.”
Julie, recipient of free Vodafone SIM
Digital participation
Donating connectivity and technology
Whether it’s families facing data poverty or sole traders struggling to get online, our programmes are letting people access the full benefits of the digital world.
4m+
crossed the digital divide since 2021 thanks to Vodafone’s everyone.connected programme
20,000
devices donated and 30,000+ recycled through the Great British Tech Appeal since 2021
16,000+
phones donated through Three’s Reconnected initiative since 2017
4m+
crossed the digital divide since 2021 thanks to Vodafone’s everyone.connected programme
20,000
devices donated and 30,000+ recycled through the Great British Tech Appeal since 2021
Affordable and accessible tariffs
Without connectivity, it’s harder to find work, access support or manage everyday life. To break this cycle, we provide social tariffs to make getting online accessible for those who can’t always afford it.
SMARTY
Unlimited data, UK calls and texts, 5G at no extra cost and EU Roaming (up to 12GB) on a flexible one-month plan, for £12 a month.
Vodafone Essentials Broadband
A 12-month broadband plan from £20 a month for all existing and new customers.
VOXI For Now
Unlimited 5G-ready data for the first six months* plus unlimited calls and texts, with no contract, at £10 a month.
SMARTY
Unlimited data, UK calls and texts, 5G at no extra cost and EU Roaming (up to 12GB) on a flexible one-month plan, for £12 a month.
Vodafone Essentials Broadband
A 12-month broadband plan from £20 a month for all existing and new customers.
* After six months, the tariff reverts to the standard £10 per month 20GB plan.
Upskilling businesses and communities
Access alone isn’t enough, however. Even with a device and connectivity, many people and businesses lack the skills or confidence to make the most of being online, which is why our initiatives help support greater digital participation.
1.3m+
people supported by Discovery technology workshops
1m+
SMEs supported through business.connected
1.7m+
SMEs upskilled through V-Hub
1.3m+
people supported by Discovery technology workshops
1m+
SMEs supported through business.connected
Behind every statistic is a story that proves why the UK needs our undivided connection.
Connecting people during crises, with the British Red Cross
Whether due to conflict, catastrophe or climate-related crises, displacement has almost doubled globally across the last decade.5 When people are forced to leave their home, access to a mobile phone is not a luxury, but essential for survival, safety and hope.
Distributed by the British Red Cross, Vodafone’s free SIM cards come loaded with six months of data, alongside free calls and texts, to help refugees safely navigate complex systems for the first time. This includes one family forced to rebuild their lives in England In 2025 alone, 5,261 SIM cards were distributed to refugees and vulnerable individuals affected by crises across the UK after fleeing conflict, arriving in the UK with no bank account and only their essential documents.
In 2025 alone,
5,261
SIM cards were distributed to refugees and vulnerable individuals affected by crises across the UK
“The SIM card supported the family with tasks including school placements, benefit applications and registering with a GP – all of which require a UK mobile number. With Vodafone’s help, the family were able to access crucial services in the UK.”
British Red Cross support worker
Photo © Claudia Janke / British Red Cross Society
Delivering data, with Trussell
With the cost-of-living crisis having stretched UK household budgets further than ever, connectivity – in the form of a mobile phone and internet connection – can often take a backseat. In fact, one in seven people referred to food banks do not have access to the internet, and fewer than half have WiFi at home.6
That’s why we’re proud of our award-winning partnership with anti-poverty charity Trussell and its community of more than 1,400 food bank centres across the UK. And it’s why we’re excited to see what we can achieve with them in the future.
Vodafone has distributed more than
270,000
free SIM cards through the partnership since 2021, supporting approximately 180,000 people in the process
“We are incredibly grateful to the staff at VodafoneThree for the time, energy and compassion they bring through their volunteering programme. Their support makes a real difference to our work and the people we serve.”
Fran Chamings, Foodbank Director, West Berks Foodbank
Breaking down barriers, with Good Things Foundation
By working with Good Things Foundation and their community partners in the National Digital Inclusion Network, both Vodafone and Three have helped unlock access to jobs, healthcare, companionship and more. Through platforms like Learn My Way – a free online platform that builds users’ confidence by improving their basic digital skills – as well as initiatives such as the National Databank and National Device Bank, we’ve managed to help individuals across the UK.
People like Sakina who, thanks to digital skills training, devices and a SIM card, has built the foundation she needed to interact confidently with the online world, allowing her to connect with digital services and support her children’s education. VodafoneThree plans to build on these joint legacies by continuing our partnership with Good Things Foundation, providing skills, connectivity and devices to the most vulnerable in society.
Vodafone and Three have collectively donated
57M GB
of data to Good Things Foundation’s National Databank
“Before, I only had an old phone and found it very hard to help my children. I didn’t have confidence, and I always needed help from others. Now, my life has completely changed, and I am very grateful for all the support.”
Sakina, user of National Databank and National Device Bank
Made for everyone: From access to participation
Despite recent progress in this space, we need to ensure standards don’t slip. The latest figures from Good Things Foundation show that: 3.7 million families sit below the minimum digital living standard; 7.9 million individuals lack basic digital skills; and 1.6 million UK adults do not have a smartphone, tablet or laptop.7
Our products and services are for everyone, so we must ensure we can support each customer as the individual they are. To do so, we will shift from a national model that has historically prioritised access – by providing devices and data – to a more community-led programme, which actively encourages greater participation in today’s increasingly digital society. We call this our ‘Made for everyone’ pillar.
We’ll use national data to identify the areas that most need support, so we can provide targeted interventions on a more local level. We will scale Discovery’s on-the-ground training, letting us directly strengthen the digital resilience of more communities throughout the UK. And we will lean on the expert support of our charity partners, renewing our longstanding partnerships with Trussell and Good Things Foundation under the VodafoneThree banner.
Part of this work will continue to revolve around our donation of free SIMs which, since June 2025, have continued to have a positive impact on those who receive them:
89%
of respondents feel their life has improved
Use of online welfare and government services increased by
6.8x
Feelings of loneliness decreased by
12x8
Disclaimer: (1) Due to the survey sample size being 998 and the total charities.connected beneficiary population size being 587,490, quantified impacts are within a 5% margin of error (based on an industry standard sample size formula). (2) It is assumed that the change between the “before SIM” scenario and the “after SIM” scenario is fully attributable to beneficiaries now having access to a SIM. There is potential that awareness increased due to other reasons. (3) The methodology and approach to quantify the potential impacts of charities.connected was developed with a consultancy in the field.
While we still have plenty of areas to address, VodafoneThree is committed to closing this divide even further, helping people to build healthy digital habits in the process.
Three actions we are taking:
1
Shifting from a national approach to a localised delivery of digital inclusion initiatives
2
Using data to provide targeted, tailored interventions in the most deprived parts of the nation
3
Being founding members of The Connection Project and having a role in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) Digital Inclusion Action Committee to support greater digital participation