- nexfibre is joining forces with UK Youth to offer youth organisations access to full fibre broadband to help tackle digital poverty across the UK
- UK Youth’s network will benefit from up to 2Gbps full fibre broadband for a 2-year period, free of charge, provided by nexfibre in collaboration with Virgin Media O2
- Nearly 570,000 young people in the UK lack both a learning device and home internet connection, impacting educational equality and social mobility
11 September 2024, London – nexfibre has today announced a new partnership with leading charity, UK Youth to tackle digital poverty.
The initiative will see nexfibre, the next-generation fibre operator, offer as many as 1,000 youth centres across the UK access to its high-speed network free of charge, in collaboration with Virgin Media O2, providing young people with the connectivity they need to boost their life chances.
Through the partnership, nexfibre will provide a full fibre connection, enabling centres to benefit from up to 2Gbps broadband services from Virgin Media O2 for free, to centres across the country for the next two years.
Access to quality full fibre broadband and better connectivity is critical to boosting the prospects of disadvantaged young people and stoking economic growth. For every pound that the taxpayer invests in youth work, the return on investment is between three to six pounds (1). Investment in youth work is proven to reduce unemployment, increase educational attainment and push down crime, building a more skilled and inclusive workforce.
More than half a million young people in the UK do not have access to essential learning devices and reliable internet connections at home. This limits opportunities for learning, social interaction and personal development, which perpetuates inequality and hinders their future prospects.
Research from UK Youth shows digital infrastructure ranks among the top three most urgent financial support needs for the youth sector (2). Youth organisations are struggling with inadequate digital infrastructure and training, while young people lack IT proficiency and environments conducive to skill-building. Recognising this urgency, nexfibre and UK Youth are working together to improve access to high-speed internet for some of the most marginalised communities and disadvantaged young people in the UK.
The partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to fostering digital literacy and engagement among young people. By equipping youth centres with better connectivity, the collaboration will help create environments where young people can develop new skills, form meaningful relationships, and thrive in their communities.
nexfibre exists to provide a nationwide alternative fibre network and bring sustainable competition to the digital infrastructure market. This partnership is part of its commitment to transform access to broadband across the country, be a responsible stakeholder to the people and communities it serves, and help the UK realise its digital potential.
Rajiv Datta, Chief Executive Officer of nexfibre, said:
“We deeply care about delivering high quality broadband to everyone across the country, especially those in left behind communities and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Full fibre broadband is a crucial driver of economic growth, enabling better access to education, jobs, and opportunities that can transform lives and uplift entire communities.”
“This is why we have partnered with UK Youth, and collaborated with Virgin Media O2, to bring this essential digital infrastructure to centres nationwide. By investing in the digital future of these communities and the next generation, we are not just closing the digital divide – we are fuelling the economic growth that will power the UK’s future.”
Ndidi Okezie, Chief Executive Officer of UK Youth, said:
“We are thrilled to partner with nexfibre in bringing enhanced connectivity and digital access to youth centres across the UK. Digital poverty remains a significant barrier, preventing youth organisations from fully addressing the growing needs of young people. This collaboration represents a vital commitment to empowering the next generation, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”
Julie Agnew, Managing Director, Fixed Network Expansion at Virgin Media O2 said:
“We know that access to connectivity can transform lives and that’s why we’re proudly supporting nexfibre and UK Youth to connect youth organisations across the UK so young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can get online, grow their digital skills, and unlock their potential.”
Uniquely positioned in the market, nexfibre is providing high-quality fibre access to millions of premises while also shaping the market itself by fostering sustainable competition and innovation. This will empower people and businesses by accelerating the full-fibre rollout, attract investment that benefits the entire UK economy and promote innovation by continually exploring and investing in cutting-edge technologies.
Unlike other alternative network operators, nexfibre is a wholesale-only provider, which enables it to focus entirely on building and maintaining a high-quality, full-fibre infrastructure platform for all ISPs and businesses to meet their needs today and in the future.
Notes to editors
- Full research from UK Youth can be found (1) here and (2) here
- nexfibre is a joint venture between InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global and Telefónica and is financed with £4.5 billion of equity and debt investment. It will initially roll out fibre to 5 million premises by 2026, with the opportunity to expand to an additional 2 million premises.
- UK Youth provides funding, resources, training and support to a network of over 8,000 Youth organisations.
- UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
- UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org
- UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability, including Hatch.
- For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes
- nexfibre will be offering 1000 youth organisations to connect to its network with a minimum of 1Gbps full fibre broadband (scope to upgrade to 2Gbps and increase the number of access points where needed) for a 2-year period free of charge.
- nexfibre is investing £1bn in the UK’s digital infrastructure in 2024 as part of their plans to provide long-term competition in the full-fibre market on a national scale.
- nexfibre’s investment will provide a major boost to the UK’s digital economy and make a significant contribution to the Government’s gigabit broadband ambitions.
- Virgin Media O2 is nexfibre’s anchor wholesale tenant.
- nexfibre intends to make its network available to other internet service providers. Additionally, nexfibre and Virgin Media O2 together intend to wholesale their networks to other internet service providers creating a national-scale operator, boosting choice and competition in the market.
- For press inquiries, please contact Adam Jones ([email protected]) or Molly Gibbons ([email protected])