The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) is today calling on the government to give long-term protection to the UK’s free-to-air terrestrial TV service, as new research finds strong support (73%) for retaining it and low awareness that its future is under threat.

Ministers are currently examining the future of TV distribution ahead of a decision on whether to continue terrestrial TV beyond the early 2030s or whether to push all TV to online streaming.

Produced in collaboration with academics working in the fields of community cohesion and global digital politics, the report reveals terrestrial TV’s universal coverage and free-to-air transmission – which allow all households to watch TV without the need for high speed broadband or monthly subscriptions – are crucial to the UK’s social resilience.

The report defines the UK’s ‘social resilience’ as the capacity of individuals and communities to adapt, endure and recover from adversity, while fostering positive relationships and maintaining cohesion.

The report finds that terrestrial TV is one of our last truly universal services as defined by the ability for all audiences in the UK, regardless of economic means or social background, to access a broad range of content – without the challenges of paying for broadband and digital skills.

As Britain faces mounting external threats, from geopolitical instability to climate change, and its internal social fabric comes under strain from increasing polarisation, the effects of social media and widening digital divides, terrestrial TV makes a crucial and unique contribution to the UK’s social resilience.

A significant majority (96%) trust terrestrial TV as a source of accurate and impartial information. Younger people were the most likely to agree that the access to British programming, live events, and local news which terrestrial TV provides increased their sense of British identity and made them feel more connected to their community.

The threat to terrestrial TV is imminent, with some incremental services such as CBBC and BBC 4 at risk of being lost within the next year.

However, the report findings show that 69% of the public are unaware that the future of terrestrial TV is under threat at all.

Terrestrial television guarantees universal access to culture and entertainment, as well as balanced sources of news and information. It facilitates shared national moments which unite the country in celebration and during times of crisis.

This universal reach is unique to terrestrial television and cannot be easily or straightforwardly replicated by other means of distributing television content, such as internet TV, which rely on households accessing and paying for a fixed highspeed broadband connection, smart technology and potentially expensive monthly streaming subscriptions.

Nine in ten members of the public (90%) agree that terrestrial TV is valuable for ensuring that those who cannot afford these expensive monthly bills have universal access to information and entertainment. Even those who do not currently rely on terrestrial TV to stay connected value it, with 70% feeling reassured that it is available as a fallback option.

Of those who live in rental accommodation and watch terrestrial TV, more than one in three (34%) would feel isolated and more than one in four (27%) would feel disconnected if they lost access to terrestrial TV. Rental costs are becoming increasingly unaffordable, with renters overrepresented among the most financially vulnerable.

Free-to-air terrestrial TV is a valued lifeline for those forced to make difficult choices about how to allocate their resources.

The report comes as ministers gather evidence to inform a decision on the future of terrestrial TV beyond the early 2030s. As the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, the DPA is contributing to the government’s Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum.

The DPA is also playing a key role in the government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan, partnering to protect the millions of vulnerable communities by tackling digital exclusion.

As members of the Broadcast 2040+ coalition, campaigning for the long-term future of broadcast services, the DPA is calling on ministers to extend broadcast licences beyond 2034 in order to safeguard universal access to TV and protect our social resilience – avoiding pushing more people to the wrong side of the digital divide.

Recommended reading

• Scots Firms Joint Most Confident Across UK Last Month
• Should Scotland’s Startup Ecosystem Really Be Like Silicon Valley’s?
• FinTech Scotland Announces Winners of AI Compliance Challenge

The report warns that without this guarantee, the UK risks disconnecting millions of people from crucial information, deepening existing digital inequalities.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, said: “As our new report demonstrates, for the millions of people living in or at risk of digital poverty, free-to-air terrestrial TV is a lifeline. It reaches over 98% of homes across the UK, with no need for a high-speed fixed broadband subscription or the latest smart tech.

“Terrestrial TV underpins our social resilience by ensuring we can all stay connected, regardless of our economic means or digital skill level.  Its long-term future should be guaranteed by ministers and the threat of its removal must never be used as a way of coercing vulnerable people into taking on new financial burdens simply to watch TV. Universal, free-to-air terrestrial TV is a priceless asset which we lose at our peril.”