Digital Inclusion means different things to different people:

·        giving people the basic ICT skills to participate in the knowledge economy leading to improved macro-economic performance

·        closing the Digital Divide — the gap between those enabled and empowered to participate in information and knowledge based society and those who are not.

·        making technology and electronic services accessible and usable for people with disabilities or the elderly

·        giving people broadband internet access

·        preventing economic exclusion from electronic commercial and public services that save time and money

·        preventing social exclusion from digitally connected communities

·        using any digital technology to tackle social exclusion

·        using any digital technology in communities to tackle area-based deprivation

One phrase that captures the essence of most such interpretations is:

The use of technology either directly or indirectly to improve the lives and life chances of people and the places in which they live

The Digital Inclusion Team focuses on stimulating innovation to achieve the last two in this list. Consequently, the meaning of "digital inclusion" for the Team is:

The use of technology either directly or indirectly to improve the lives and life chances of disadvantaged people and the places in which they live