b'Partner News Winter 2020 5IET updatesDigital Poverty AllianceThe Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Digital Access for All (DAFA) are establishing an alliance to tackle digital poverty.The IET and DAFA are bringing togetherengineering and technology community can organisations to kick start an alliancecome together to solve societys greatest aimed at tackling the issue of digitalchallenges. It would be fantastic if we can poverty and ending digital poverty for all,start the journey of eradicating digital particularly for disadvantaged children.poverty during our 150th anniversary year.The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the growing problem of digital povertyThe first Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) in the UK. With 1.9m households withvirtual roundtable took place on Friday 23 no access to the internet * , Covid-19 hasOctober with more than 20 organisations identified key gaps in the ability of peoplein attendance, including the Department working from home, as well as the abilityfor Education (DfE), the Department for of many children learning from home.Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS), Intel, TechUK, TeachFirst, BBC News and LEGO. Its important to recognise the social gapThe roundtable will be followed by several in access to technology, but the challengeother workshops to form an action plan23% of children of tackling digital poverty is too large forwith the goal to end digital poverty for all.one organisation to take on alone, whichin Digitally Excluded is why the IET and DAFA are working toIf this is something you would like to establish an alliance with organisations, whobe involved in or your organisation couldhouseholds lack working together, can tackle this challenge.support, please contact David Lakin, IET Head of Education (davidlakin@ home broadband and IET Head of Education, David Lakin, said:theiet.org) for more information.Digital poverty is nothing new, its beenaccess to a desktop, around for a long time and its an important* Statistic from Good Things Foundation, issue society needs to address. If we wantaccurate at the time of printing laptop or tablet *to end digital poverty, its important that we take action now and work together. I strongly believe, by forming an alliance, we have a real opportunity of reaching that ambitious goal of ending digital poverty for disadvantaged children. The IET has a long history of creating networks so that the'