The Connection Project
Ed Leighton
About
The Connection Project is a new cross-sector initiative, supported by major consumer groups alongside UK institutions from banking, broadcasting and broadband connectivity. We want everyone in the UK to participate and thrive in a digital society.
Through research, pilots and analysis, we are establishing how citizens and businesses can participate fully and safely in an increasingly digital economy – and building a roadmap to bring that about.
Our work examines the interdependencies between key digital transitions that are coming in the next decade — including new broadband technologies, the IP television transition, access to banking, digital identity, and access to digital public services — from the twin perspectives of citizens who might benefit, and companies who can drive much of the transformation. We believe it is possible for these transitions to be moments that make the modern world more manageable, but only with careful cross-sector and consumer-centred planning.
Insight:
“Digital” isn’t something on the horizon we need to make a choice about: it’s here today, and it’s not been designed to include everyone. We are building a partnership that reimagines how the modern world needs to work differently, formed from the key organisations who can take action to enable everyone of any age, any income, and any skill level, to participate in the services they rely on.
The perceived inabilities of older people are too often used as a fig-leaf for service design that wasn’t centred on the people who will use them, in all their diversity. We need to reset our ambition for the digital society to enable everyone to participate through digital and assisted digital routes. That means ensuring the availability and affordability of essential connectivity, service design that builds confidence rather than concern, and support for learning new skills to take advantage of the life-enhancing benefits. That supports people to move to modern services, rather than stranding them on less resilient options which become less supported and sustainable over time.
The focus on life-long learning is a key area of common ground. Too often, new services are written off as potentially bringing few benefits to those in later life stages. Recent research from Sky shows that 91% of people value the new features of IPTV once they are shown how to use them, rising to 99% in the over 75s in their sample. The benefits of a digital society that work for everyone are as strong for later life stages as any other: from greater accessibility, ease of use, and opening new possibilities to lead better lives connected to the people and hobbies that matter to us. We need to design services – particularly essential services we all rely on – to work for everyone, and making the skills barrier easier to jump.
Impact:
Over 2026, we will be leading a conversation on how we need to reimagine the modern world so that everyone can participate in today’s digital society.
We will be delivering analysis of the international and domestic case studies that should inform best practice for designing essential services, as well as the commercial case for delivering digital inclusion. We have pilot schemes offering in-person support for digital transitions in multiple sectors at once – recognising that when someone struggles in one sector, they may well need support with another service too.
All of this will inform our roadmap for how the private, third and public sectors could find a better way that no longer tolerates that 1/5 people still struggle to engage with online services.
Key contact:
Ed Leighton - Strategy Director
Ed joined the Connection Project from Ofcom, where he was Acting Group Director for Strategy and Research, following 5 years as Strategy Director. Ed has led Ofcom’s policy work media literacy, digital transitions, and previously their fibre broadband strategy as well as leading organisational change for the leadership group.
