Data Darkness’, a new and eye-catching art installation, will be unveiled at the South Bank in London to raise awareness of the 1.9 million UK households living in data poverty* this Christmas.
Living in poverty and struggling to afford mobile data, there are some people across the country who are unable to get online to complete everyday tasks and, crucially, can’t stay in touch with their loved ones during the festive period.
Playing into Christmas lights season, where crowds flock to the capital to see spectacular festive illuminations, the ‘Data Darkness’ installation has been commissioned by Virgin Media O2 and the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, as part of its campaign to help people experiencing data poverty to get online and stay connected.
The organisations founded the National Databank, which is like a food bank but for mobile data, to provide free O2 data, texts and calls to people in need – regardless of their mobile provider. Since it launched in 2021, O2 has connected more than 200,000 people nationwide.
People who need it can get a free O2 SIM with 25GB of monthly data for 12 months – enough for around 275 hours of internet browsing per month at O2 stores across the UK.
Spotlight on data poverty
The ‘Data Darkness’ installation, available to visit at South Bank’s Observation Point overlooking the River Thames and with views of St Paul’s Cathedral in London from 3 to 6 December, is a thought-provoking and emotive representation of data poverty in the UK.
Standing at an impressive 3 metres tall and 10.5 metres wide, the art installation is made up of 100 miniature homes – where the majority of the homes are lit up, while others are dimmed to near darkness, to highlight the UK households which will be disconnected this Christmas.
It aims to encourage people in need, or those who know someone affected by data poverty, to get free O2 mobile data from an O2 store. People can find their nearest National Databank here.
This follows a survey of 2,000 adults across the UK, commissioned by Virgin Media O2, that discovered a fifth (19%) of Brits, more than doubling to 43% of millennials, know at least one person who is experiencing ‘data poverty’ – where they’re unable to afford enough data to do everything they need and want to do on the internet.
This is particularly troublesome at Christmas, as four out of five (83%) Brits admit they rely on online communication to connect with their loved ones during the festivities.
The public can visit ‘Data Darkness’ from:
· Date: Tuesday 3 December – Friday 6 December
· Location: South Bank Observation Point, 56 Upper Ground, London, SE1 9PP
· Cost: FREE
