BTW Barriers to Internet and Broadband Research Asian community

1. BTW Barriers to Internet and Broadband Research Asian community Prepared For White Horse Yard 78 Liverpool Road London N1 0QD

2. Background • BT Wholesale conducted a collaborative project last year called ‘Drivers of Broadband’ • To understand and anticipate drivers of future demand for broadband in the UK • BTW wished to follow this up with 2nd project • This time, research concentrated on barriers to adopting broadband • Two key target groups: SMEs and consumers • Debriefed by Sweeney Pinedo on 16th March • In addition, BTW wanted to look more closely at the ‘Asian community’

3. Background : ‘Asian Community’ • BTW broadband adoption data can be associated with postcodes • And thus linked to wider demographic data • Analysis of this data suggests that there is a slower adoption of broadband in areas occupied by the ‘Asian Community’ • Small scale qualitative research proposed to explore this further • Note: • BTW does not have data on PC ownership or internet access within the ‘Asian Community’ • A more detailed split of broadband adoption by country of origin is not available • i.e. BTW not able to separate Indian from Pakistani, Bangladeshi etc.

4. Methodology • Telephone depth interviews • 40 – 60 minutes • Key requirement: person able to comment on behaviour and attitudes of ‘Asian community’ with regard to new technology • And specifically broadband • 3 interviews carried out to date • Free found Too small scale to provide conclusive findings

5. Sample All London residents Religion 1 x Sikh 1 x half Sikh and half Hindu 1 x Muslim Age 2 x 28 years 1 x 57 years Gender 3 x male Parents’ country of origin or interviewee’s country of birth 1 x India 1 x Zanzibar (“East African Gujarati”) 1 x Kenya Teach / work / live amongst the following ethnic minorities: Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Gujarati, Punjabi Black (African / Caribbean), Jewish and Turkish

6. Sample • Internet related experience: • 1 x small business advisor with specific responsibility for IT (including training) • 1 x IT teacher at college • 1 x personal use at home (with wife and daughter) All internet enthusiasts And family / friends / colleagues tend to be keen users

7. Commenting on the ‘Asian Community’ • Interviewees found it hard to comment on the ‘Asian Community’ per se • Spontaneously differentiated between more specific (regional) groups • e.g. Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Gujarati, Punjabi • Expected / stereotypical behaviour of each group likely to differ • Specific groups also have different history / presence within UK • In terms of location, level of integration, and level of affluence • Do not just sub-divide by country of origin or religion

8. Involvement with Internet Technology • According to interviewees, key factors that determine / influence involvement with internet related technology amongst the ‘Asian community’ • Disposable income of family • Lifestage • Younger people = learn about at school / work = more aware and interested • Older people (60+) = less familiar = “not very comfortable” with new technology • Familiar from previous BT research • NOT unique to Asian ethnic groups OR directly related to Asian ethnicity

9. Triggers and Usage • Children often trigger PC purchase / adoption of internet by household • To aid education • Young people then introduce / teach their parents (older generation) • Main uses of the internet: • Finding / using information • School / college related • Other projects (e.g. to help wife’s childcare evening course) • Communication • Especially to relatives abroad

10. BTW’s Asian Community Hypothesis • “Surprised” to hear that BT stats suggest low adoption of broadband amongst the ‘Asian community’ • At odds with their experience • “more and more people … install internet into their home” • Families / friends help each other by passing on 2nd hand PCs • Know of no reasons why the ‘Asian community’ should be less willing / interested • No lifestyle or religious factors at odds with internet usage • Muslim educational websites exist to aid religious teaching • “Culture doesn’t come into it at all”

11. BTW’s Asian Community Hypothesis • Think BT data may need more detailed analysis • Looking at specific regional groups and income in more detail • Think Asians may not have broadband for same reasons as other groups • Specifically, do not use internet enough to need / justify However do report reasons why (some) Asians may be more or less keen internet users than other groups of people

12. Positive Asian Related Factors • Strong commitment to education / getting on in the world • Asian parents often (very) actively involved in encouraging children’s academic achievement • PC and internet seen as positive aids • PC and internet are affordable to many • There are “a lot of rich Asians” in the UK • Sikh, Gujarati and Pakistani groups felt to be doing well for themselves • Internet makes communication easy with family abroad • Especially where phone contract tricky (e.g. Africa)

13. Negative Asian Related Factors • Poorer Asian groups cannot afford • e.g. Bangladeshi families on Kings Cross council estates; parents who do not speak much English; children not very aspirational • Access offered by the internet can worry older, “not very educated” Asian parents • “Children born here are independent minded”, unlike their parents • Interviewee reported story of (Muslim) family who “lost their children” • Specifically: 15 - 16 year old boy ran away to meet girl he met on the net • Some parents “really scared” of internet as a result But thought to be a minority concern

14. Promoting The Internet To The ‘Asian Community’ • Specialist Asian media seen as good idea if ISP wants to target the ‘Asian community’ • For example: • Zee TV • B4U TV mix of Hindi & English language TV ads • Sony (satellite TV channel) • Club Asia radio (972 MW) • Sunrise radio • Also - positive mention by one interviewee of BBC World Service