Tackling data poverty through the National Databank
Bridging Digital Gaps with Free SIM Access
Overview
Connectivity should never be a privilege. IFB Gaming launched the Free SIM Card Initiative to ensure that individuals on low incomes, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with no recourse to public funds could stay connected and access essential online services. The initiative reflects our belief that digital access is a basic right — a foundation for opportunity, communication, and dignity in the digital age.
The Challenge
For many, the cost of mobile data and connectivity remains a major barrier to digital inclusion. Without reliable internet access, people cannot apply for jobs, continue learning, or communicate with loved ones.
For displaced individuals, this isolation is often compounded by language barriers, unstable housing, and financial hardship — deepening the divide between those who are digitally connected and those left behind.
Our Response
In partnership with telecom providers and local community networks, IFB Gaming distributed free SIM cards preloaded with data, calls, and text allowances.
Each distribution was accompanied by one-to-one guidance and signposting to digital literacy resources, helping recipients build confidence in using their devices to access job opportunities, education platforms, and vital public services.
Impact
Reach: 300 beneficiaries across London. Empowerment: Participants received pre-loaded SIM cards that provided immediate digital access, empowering them to apply for jobs, continue learning, and engage with vital community and government services.
Community Voice:
“This SIM card means I can communicate with my children and grandchildren, we are now closer, and I can now manage my health online.” — Joseph, London
What’s Next
The Free SIM initiative now forms part of Empowering Futures’ annual Winter Data Care campaign. We are expanding partnerships to reach more people, strengthen connectivity resilience, and align with national digital inclusion frameworks.
