In April, the Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa (DECA) reached out to government ministers with an urgent plea: prioritise affordable internet access for all New Zealanders. The letter highlighted the critical nature of affordable connectivity and called for a collaborative, whole-of-government approach to tackle the digital inequities impacting many New Zealanders.

The Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa (DECA) is urging the New Zealand Government to establish a Digital Equity payment to ensure internet access for low-income families. Revealed in DECA's Affordable Connectivity in Aotearoa report today, 58,000 families in Aotearoa currently are without internet connectivity. This initiative would directly address their critical needs.

Digital equity is foundational to councils in ensuring our communities are connected, engaged and thriving and you can let them know this April through your local LTP process why digital equity matters for your region and the services councils provide now and into the future.

DECA guest blogger, Holly Davies, is particularly interested in online harm space. She shared with us her lived experience of online harm and difficulties seeking sufficient support and advice and how this led her to create a survey to raise up the experiences of other rangatahi.