Digital inclusion in Cambridgeshire is about more than broadband coverage. A resident can technically be connected and still struggle to use online services if they lack a suitable device, confidence or help when something goes wrong.
That matters because healthcare, benefits, employment, banking and local-government services increasingly rely on digital channels. For people who are older, on low incomes, disabled or unfamiliar with online systems, a digital-first service can create a new barrier even when it is designed to improve efficiency.
Libraries are part of the local response
Cambridgeshire Libraries currently describes every county library as a Digital Inclusion Hub. Libraries provide computers, Wi-Fi and staff support, while many branches offer one-to-one Digital Buddy sessions.
The library service also participates in the National Databank at selected locations, including Cambridge Central, Arbury Court, Barnwell Road and Clay Farm, where eligible low-income residents can receive free mobile data.
Skills matter as much as connectivity
Cambridgeshire Skills, the county council’s adult-learning service, offers courses for adults aged 19 and over across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Its programme includes English, maths, ESOL, vocational subjects and digital skills.
This highlights an important point: digital exclusion is not solved simply by installing faster infrastructure. People need enough confidence to identify scams, use online forms, manage passwords and understand when a digital service is asking for sensitive information.
Digital-first should not become digital-only
Public bodies can gain efficiency from online services, but accessibility requires alternatives for residents who cannot use them independently. Good digital inclusion therefore combines better connectivity with accessible design, training and human support.
The challenge is especially visible across a county that includes both Cambridge’s technology-intensive economy and rural communities where transport, mobile coverage and broadband availability can differ significantly.
For Cambridgeshire, progress should be measured not only by how many premises can connect to fast internet, but by whether residents can actually use digital services safely and independently.