TalkTalk has launched a new voucher scheme that provides jobseekers free access to broadband.
The partnership has been launched in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with the programme rolled out across the UK following a successful trial earlier in the pandemic.
This scheme is intended to tackle digital exclusion and remove employment barriers, according to TalkTalk.
Jobseekers are offered a no-contract voucher for six months for TalkTalk’s Fibre 35 broadband as part of the initiative.
Broadband allowance is uncapped, while users can opt to take out a contract at the end of the six months with TalkTalk, with no additional costs or sign-up fees included.
The scheme has rolled out across the UK, following an earlier trial in the North West, which saw people secure new employment as a direct result of the voucher scheme.
“We believe that reliable broadband is a right not a privilege,” said TalkTalk chief people and procurement officer Daniel Kasmir. “However, many people across the UK are struggling to access the internet, with the effects of the pandemic leading to the number of Universal Credit claimants doubling within a year.
“Working with the DWP to roll this scheme out nationally supports our mission to democratise the internet and bring affordable, high-quality connectivity to everyone, helping to erase the UK’s digital divide.”
TalkTalk’s Fibre 35 broadband provides maximum speeds of up to 40Mbps.
