Everything Everywhere an Go On UK join forces to get more Britons online

UK's biggest communications company joins Martha Lane Fox's digital literacy charity as a founding partner.

Everything Everywhere, which provides communications services to more than 27 million customers through the Orange and T-Mobile brands, has pledged support in helping to bring the social, economic and cultural benefits of the internet to every individual and every organisation in the country. Everything Everywhere is the only UK mobile operator among the eight founding partners, which include the Lloyds Banking Group, EON, the Post Office and Age UK.

Digital literacy is an urgent priority for the UK. 8.1 million Britons have never used the internet1 and an estimated 14 million use the internet infrequently. However, many people who are not online at home are active mobile users and have ready access to the internet. Nine out of ten people in the UK now own a mobile phone and one in seven households are now mobile-only2.

Additionally, many organisations still struggle to exploit the broader benefits of technology. Only 14% of small businesses in the UK sell products and services online3, while the charity sector cites technology as its biggest skills gap4.

With the integration of the Orange and T-Mobile networks, Everything Everywhere offers the widest mobile coverage, and also offers home broadband services, to get people online. Everything Everywhere also recently announced plans to invest £1.5bn on updating mobile infrastructure and rolling out 4G services this year, with regulatory approval. This will provide even faster and more reliable mobile internet connectivity for individuals and businesses that don’t have access to high speed broadband at home, such as those in rural areas or in social housing.

As a founding partner of Go ON UK, Everything Everywhere has committed to delivering a number of programmes in stores and in the community that will inspire people to get online and make the most of being connected. These initiatives will start to launch later this year.

Olaf Swantee, CEO of Everything Everywhere, said: "With more than 20 million people in the UK rarely or never using the internet, it's clear more needs to be done to ensure people have access to a good connection and understand the value it can bring to their lives. Everything Everywhere is committed to addressing both elements of this equation, investing £1.5bn in bringing fast 4G mobile networks to the UK as soon as possible and supporting Go ON UK in building digital skills across the country."

Martha Lane Fox, Founder of Go ON UK said: "Everything Everywhere is vital to the work we're doing. Through its valuable support of Go ON UK, it is investing in the digital future of the country by ensuring we have the infrastructure and expertise to compete in tomorrow’s world. Mobile internet has the ability to help revolutionise how SMEs grow and can transform the way charities deliver their frontline services. We are delighted to be working with such a great British company that supports our society and economy by bringing the benefits of digital connectivity to individuals and organisations across the UK."

For more information please visit the Go ON UK website at www.go-on-uk.org

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1 ONS Labour Force Survey, February 20122 Ofcom Communications Market Report, August 20113 Lloyds Banking Group/BDRC, April 20124 NCVO

Contact:Everything Everywhere Press Office:Everything.Everywhere@golinharris.com+44 870 373 1500

About EE
EE is the most advanced digital communications company in Britain, providing mobile and fixed line services to 27 million customers, and will soon become the first company in the UK to provide 4G mobile services alongside fixed-line fibre.EE is the company that runs the Orange and T-Mobile brands in the UK, and will be launching its new superfast 4G brand – EE – in the coming weeks.Its 4G service will cover a third of the population by the end of 2012 and its fibre service will cover 50% of the population by the end of the year.EE's mobile service currently provides coverage to 99% of the population with 2G and 98% of the population with 3G.