Going underground: Virgin Media O2 brings 5G services to the Tube
20 March 2023
Virgin Media O2 and Good Things Foundation open 1,000th National Databank Hub
20 April 2023
As new research reveals 11.4 million people in the UK are just one payslip away from serious hardship, Virgin Media O2 and Good Things Foundation are stepping up their support by opening the thousandth National Databank Hub to provide free mobile data to help people in need stay connected.
The study, commissioned by Virgin Media O2, found that the cost of living crisis is stopping 10% of people with household incomes of up to £25,000 from calling or texting their loved ones, or limiting how they use their mobile data. And a further 70% of this group said they don’t know what they would do if they couldn’t access the internet.
To help people in need stay connected, Virgin Media O2 and the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, have opened the UK’s thousandth National Databank Hub.
Virgin Media O2
The National Databank is like a foodbank but provides free mobile data, texts and calls to help people in need to get online and stay connected to loved ones. People in need can access 20GB of free O2 data a month – enough for around 220 hours of internet browsing.
Since the National Databank launched in July 2021, Virgin Media 2 has provided more than 70,000 free O2 SIM cards and 50,000 free O2 data vouchers.
Demand for the national databank is growing, with its website receiving almost twice as many visits in 2023, compared with this time last year as people search to discover how they can get help during the cost of living crisis.
Nicola Green from Virgin Media O2 said: “With 1,000 National Databank Hubs now available across the UK, there’s more help for people in need than ever before so they can get online and stay connected to loved ones.
“As proud founders of the National Databank, Virgin Media O2 has committed more than 61 million GB of O2 data to help people get free data, texts and calls so they and their families can access essential websites, study and work from home, and keep in touch with their friends and family.”
Visit Virgin Media O2 to find out more and find your nearest hub.
