VIRGIN Media O2 is offering those most in need with free internet access as part of a new help scheme.
The firm is working with charity Jangala to provide 5,000 internet-enabling Get Boxes.
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Powered by O2 mobile data, the device can provide connectivity for over 20 people at a time.
They’ll go to people affected by data poverty, including households, community centres, refuges, and homeless shelters across the UK.
Get Boxes will be sent to schools, charities, and other community initiatives and then distributed to households that need them most.
They will also be sent to temporary accommodation sites.
Get Boxes are already being used at a domestic abuse refuge centre in Coventry to help victims access essential online services.
The O2 mobile data is from the National Databank, founded by Virgin Media O2 and the Good Things Foundation charity.
Low income families can already get free mobile data through that scheme.
“Through our partnership with Jangala, we’ll help thousands of low-income families and people who would otherwise be unconnected to get online via free fast and reliable WiFi so they can access essential services, like booking medical appointments or applying for work, or staying in touch with their loved ones,” said Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2.
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“It builds on the measures Virgin Media O2 is taking to tackle data poverty.
“Whether it’s free O2 data from the National Databank, rehoming devices and data with people who need them, or offering great value broadband plans for people receiving benefits, we’re continuing to help people in need stay connected.”
Virgin Media O2 has already been working with Jangala on its global Emergency Response programme.
Boxes have been deployed during humanitarian crises, so that response teams and communities can access Wi-Fi, including the tragic earthquake in Turkey and Syria earlier this year.
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