Only 8% of Poles are digitally excluded, but at the same time 40% are dissatisfied with their internet speed. During the pandemic, the older generation has become more willing to use online services.
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More than 60% of Poles are within reach of a fiber optic network, according to the “Digital Inclusion” report, commissioned by Fiberhost, an operator of open fiber networks. However, among this group, just over half of the respondents use this type of Internet connection.
The report showed that during the pandemic, people over the age of 55 were more likely to use various online services, including e-offices or e-banking.
As data from the Central Statistical Office shows, digital exclusion is systematically decreasing – in 2017, 18% of Poles were digitally excluded. In 2021, among other things, thanks to the construction of fiber optic networks under the Digital Poland Operational Program in areas without access to a wired network infrastructure, only 8% of Poles belonged to this category.
However, one of the groups most at risk of digital exclusion are people living in rural areas (64% of those excluded), and to successfully tackle this problem, new investments in infrastructure are needed, in particular in areas where high-speed Internet is available. not yet available.
Respondents were asked, among other things, if they are satisfied with the speed of their internet – up to 40% of them answered that their connection was slightly or definitely too slow. In the group of people without fiber optics, this percentage was 51%.
