Bringing free Wi-Fi to temporary accommodation in the Midlands with the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund
Jangala is excited to be expanding provision of free Wi-Fi to those who need it most with our innovative Get Box, thanks to a new grant from the UK Government Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund.
Get Box is Jangala’s portable Wi-Fi device which generates whole-home Wi-Fi from a SIM card. It is contract-free and simple to set up, making it an ideal digital inclusion solution for people living in situations where broadband may not be available or suitable. In partnership with P3 Charity, a national organisation which offers services across England including homelessness prevention, supported housing, mental health recovery and youth services, we’re distributing 452 Get Boxes to households living in temporary accommodation and supported housing across the Midlands this winter. By providing free internet, we’re helping P3 residents to connect with essential services, digital opportunities and loved ones.
The UK Government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan identifies data poverty – defined as the inability to access or afford sufficient connectivity – as a key area to tackle to ensure everyone in the UK can participate fully in modern society and the digital economy. We know from speaking to Jangala partners around the UK that it’s a particularly prevalent problem in the housing sector. More than 130,000 households live in temporary housing in England today, but many accommodation units don’t have Wi-Fi, or only provide it in shared spaces rather than private bedrooms or self-contained flats. Residents are often locked out of sourcing their own home internet for financial or practical reasons, from data affordability to minimum terms of broadband contracts.
"P3 is really excited to be delivering this project in partnership with Jangala. This collaboration will enable over 450 households to get online, giving them free access to the internet. At P3, we’re committed to tackling digital exclusion, as digital access is no longer a luxury, but a critical utility in today's world. Some of the people we support simply cannot afford to get online, and this project will give access to benefits, education and employment, while also helping to combat loneliness."
Ella Hawkins, Head of Tenant Services, P3 Charity
Get Box has already connected more than 20,000 people in the UK over the last two years, in partnership with more than 200 organisations. Our new DSIT-funded project marks an expansion of a collaboration between Jangala and P3 Charity which began in 2024 through a pilot project in Coventry . In the first phase of our new project, 29 families living in P3’s Coventry accommodation received Get Box Wi-Fi before Christmas. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out Get Boxes to residents in P3 accommodation sites across Warwickshire, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. All Get Boxes in this project will be powered by mobile data donated by Virgin Media O2.
“For Jangala, this project is a significant expansion of our Get Box provision in the UK. Not only will it provide free, meaningful, reliable internet to people who need it most, but we hope to show the vital role that Get Box can play in tackling the data poverty experienced by thousands of other people facing homelessness and in supported housing in the UK through Jangala’s partnerships with organisations like P3. Addressing this is a critical piece of the digital inclusion puzzle – ensuring that the tablets and laptops provided through other schemes can be used meaningfully at home, and people can get online regularly to put into practice what they learn through digital skills initiatives.”
Richard Thanki, Managing Director, Jangala
