A Look at Our Action Areas – Digital Inclusion

At Deutsche Telekom, we connect people and feel responsible not only for our products and services, but also for how society engages with technology. Digital inclusion in a digitalized world also means social participation – from education and culture to leisure and work. To support this, our activities address three core elements:

1. Access to digital offerings, regardless of age, disability, education, or location – Access
2. Plans, services, and devices that enable people and institutions to participate while taking their financial circumstances into account – Affordability
3. the skills and motivation to be able and willing to use technology – Ability.

In this way, we support society in participating in digitalization and public discourse, because we see it as our responsibility to prevent a digital divide.

We want to bring everyone into the digital society

Social participation in the digital space requires access, affordability, skills, and the motivation to take part and live together in the digital world according to democratic rules. This is the only way to prevent society from becoming divided. With our access, affordability, and ability approach, we aim to ensure digital inclusion.

Access

To provide technical access, we continue to expand our network. By the end of 2020, we had equipped nearly 99 percent of households with LTE, and we had nearly completed the expansion of our FTTC (Fiber to the Curb) fixed-line network. Among other efforts, we equip educational institutions with technology to help make this possible. Deutsche Telekom invests many billions of euros in its network infrastructure and the services and innovations based on it. To provide access for people with disabilities, we offer specialized services, such as the Deaf Hotline.

Affordability

With different rate plans for every budget and our subsidized rate, we are striving to make digital access affordable for everyone.

Ability

We help people navigate online with confidence and live together according to democratic principles. Our programs and activities address the needs of different audiences, from children, parents, and teachers to offerings in different languages and plain language for adults and people who help share knowledge. For us, media literacy and democratic literacy are inseparable, so people can feel comfortable online without having to fear exclusion or misuse.