Digital Access for All

I don't have home broadband, Corbyn was right! During Lockdown it was completely clear that no thanks to Thatcher back in the 1980's undermining the UK getting a progressive internet our system could barely cope during Lockdown, phones not working, internet dropping out.

I don't struggle with tech.

I think the pandemic showed the weakness of the system but the strength of utilising online to work and socialise and we should ensure workers and families can easily connect post pandemic and not just a "return to normal". Care homes must have zoom for residents. A Free public WiFi system in common parts.

The process to installation and activation of broadband lines needs to be a priority so everyone can get online. Getting onlibe gives people access for education, jobs, etc.
It should also be affordable.
Regulations and policys to ban long broadband contracts that are 18 months and overpriced and prices go up 50% after this period.
And companies that give 5hr engineer activation appointment times. This should be available as 1hr time slots Mon to Sun from 8am to 7pm to be convenient for working people. Broadband prices and customer services need to be tailored to be fairer to customer money and time and the public.

I am disabled by Multiple Sclerosis which has affected, amongst other things, my hands meaning I cannot use the keyboard. I write using Dragon speech to text software. This is available on the NHS via specialist units, the Regional Environmental Control Equipment Service. There are two in London serving north and south of the Thames and associated Home Counties. Knowledge of them seems very sparse. They provide all sorts of technology-based assistance, e.g. tablets equipped to control TVs and other devices, things to open and close your curtains. Their services available to people with permanent and/or degenerative medical conditions, so someone who has broken their leg would not count whereas someone with Parkinson's disease would. I think their existence should be promoted both within and without the NHS and local occupational therapy services , as I have been the one to inform my local services of their existence.

I use the PC to write, order my shopping and other goods, participate in local affairs such as planning consultations. I could not function without it and the Dragon software.

Medical consultations have all taken place online since lockdown but there are some instances that are impossible online because the practitioner needs to touch or manipulate my limbs. As a result my condition has worsened markedly over the past year.

Possessing the technology is one thing, having the space in which to use it is another. Working from home is set to stay. It tends to be higher income earners who are in jobs that can be done from home, but to say all who live in council housing are in manual jobs is a gross over generalisation. The point is people in cramped social housing cannot work from home because there is nowhere to work. Flats and houses need to be designed with home working space available.

26% of the of the UK workforce intend to work from home after lockdown.
(https://www.finder.com/uk/working-from-home-statistics)

Survey of 5,000 employees by Slack - 12% want to return to full-time office work, 72% want a hybrid remote-office model.
(https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/sponsored-content/2021/3/working-fr…)

The consensus is people will probably do two days a week at home, three in the office.

When designing and building homes with homeworking in mind, developers need not to use insulation that includes what looks like tinfoil - it turns the buildings into Faraday cages, impenetrable to mobile phone signals and digital radio.

A home office makes properties far more attractive to buyers and adds up to 10% of the value of the property - councils should take note when giving approval to developments that include a proportion of units for sale, the revenue intended to pay for the cost of building the units to be socially rented.

Savills https://www.savills.co.uk/blog/article/298894/residential-property/how-…

Lloyds Bank research - two in five workers say that when looking for a new home, suitable work space is a factor.

The unpopularity of small units without sufficient space for activities like working from home can be seen at Archway, north London. Several former office blocks were converted into one and two bedroom flats some years ago yet they are half empty.

I am 89 and prior to the Pandemic was accustomed to attending in person a number of Local group meetings, including those of the local group of my political party, my cycling group and my chess club. Of these, the last has completely disappeared, while the first two are held online, for which I have to balance a microphone/camera precariously on top of my computer. For online meetings comprising more than about 6 people, this system does not work at all well.

The Pimlico Million are liaising with local residents to understand more about their needs for digital inclusion. We understand that during the pandemic many families and individuals were disconnected and some became more lonely and or isolated due to not having the technology nor the understanding of how to use it. In a world of ever increasing technology, we are keen to support local residents to get the training and skills to use a laptop or other device to ensure that they can keep connected during difficult times and post-COVID. We welcome any support that the Mayor of London's office can give on a practical level, whether that is supporting residents to engage in courses or offering funding for London Boroughs to deliver training and upskill residents.

Social media technology e.g. PC, laptop, etc? So much of this 'technology' has infuriating built in dysfunctionality and redundancy that creeps into ones devices if they are 'out of date' as far as the tech firms are concerned. For example, about 10 years ago I bought a top of the range Apple laptop for well over £1000. During half that time the device has exhibited "not supported" pop-ups and notifications which finds me unable now to access common usages of function for the likes of Zoom, TikTok, Skype and much more. I'm refused access with my Mac and Googlechrome toward any ability to upgrade the Mac or switch to another facilitating modern-day browser that would enable my access to above and more online social media essentials. There's nothing I can do other than buy a new device. How I despise these big techs that have us all so horribly entrapped. Of course, one could refuse to play ball and ditch 'entrapment' and go back to listening to the wireless, reading books and writing letters and postcards with an array of quaint ink filling fountain pens I have a collection of - perhaps even cutting my own pens from a bunch of goose quills I have secluded in an old leather valise I would need to retrieve from a dark dusty corner.

A good pc (fitting: speed, memory and adaptability); fast broadband; and training facilities. In this technological age, this should be readily available to everyone at all times; whether or not this is the only way in which we choose to carryout our day-to-day transactions.

Hi!!!
The technology was quite difficult for me to use in different aspect of my life:

Work: I'm working with people in care homes, learning disability homes and mental health homes doing art workshops. Due I could not do this online basically there is not much I could do unless the home has the technology and even though was difficult because they don't have time to do these things on zoom and the personal connection is what they need the most.

Volunteer aspect: I have been coordinating Mutual Aid groups in Barnet and the inability of elderly people to be connected with the internet or just the simple use of a smartphone was doing our life complicated as we had to make awareness through leafleting or telephone.
To find the people who need help was complicated as we didn't have monetary support. Sometimes even if the person has knowledge of how to use the internet they might not have money to get the internet.

Provide free internet for people that are on benefits or with small pensions.
The logical solutions that came to me are to provide training to elderly people or provide simple smartphones or tablets once is possible one to one contact.
Create volunteers groups to help to do this training of funding these training. I think is important to do this training on one to one basis because elderly people have more difficulties retaining the information and everyone has a rhythm.
Provide after every course a step by step guide on how to do normal things like WhatsApp, Text messages, using google, Youtube, zoom, navigate on a website, online shopping. Because you can explain something but then they might forget it.
Refreshment training, after the training we should have a support group for questions and also a refreshment training if someone requires.

The government could provide funds to organisations like Mutual Aid that could provide one to one training basis because is local and in case one person has to doubt is always your neighbour who could help you.