Britain needs a digital inclusion policy with concrete targets for both availability and take-up to counter the emergence of a digital underclass

Internet use and information technology seems ubiquitous throughout our society – for many, life would be unimaginable without it. But, as Ellen Helsper argues, there is a vast ‘digital underclass’ in the UK that has not benefitted from increasing rates of Internet access. New, targeted policies are needed to ensure access to digital technologies and their attendant benefits amongst the most disadvantaged groups.