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Digital inclusion means that everyone – regardless of age, income, education or background – can participate fully in today's digital society. In Switzerland, increasing digitalisation is raising the risk of exclusion from important social processes and events – for example, if people lack the necessary skills and access. Sunrise is committed to preventing such a divide in society.
"Digital inclusion is not a nice-to-have – it’s a must-have in order to give everyone the opportunity to participate in society. Whether it's access to important services, contact with relatives or participation in the labour market, digital access is a basic need. We want to take responsibility here and ensure that we carry the whole of Switzerland with us on this digital journey," says André Krause, CEO Sunrise
Who is at risk?
Certain groups are particularly at risk of digital exclusion:
People with limited financial resources, who often lack access to digital infrastructure and basic digital skills.
People with a low educational level, who are less likely to take advantage of digital training opportunities.
Older people (65+), 35% of whom have difficulty using digital tools.
People with severe mental illness and workers in precarious employment who lack digital support.
The Sunrise strategy for digital inclusion is based on three pillars:
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Digital education: Since 2020, the partnership with Caritas has enabled regional programmes for digital inclusion: digital meeting places, individual mentoring and group courses. Sunrise is now also focussing on supporting established services such as Caritas in Zurich or Lernloft with volunteer work by its employees. These services support people with limited digital skills.
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Hardware donations: To date, Sunrise has donated over 1,200 laptops to the organisation "Wir lernen weiter". They are distributed to schoolchildren, families and financially disadvantaged households so that they can be a part of our networked society. Further donations are planned.
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Affordable connectivity: Since August 2023, Sunrise has been offering two mobile and two Internet subscriptions and a TV product at greatly reduced rates. The five subscriptions, which Sunrise subsidises specifically for this purpose, can be taken out at a Sunrise shop on presentation of the Caritas KulturLegi card.
Employee engagement
Sunrise employees are at the centre of the Sunrise digital inclusion efforts. Employees volunteer up to 16 hours per year to make a real difference in their communities. Through volunteering and mentoring, they help bridge the digital divide and empower others to thrive in a connected world.
Sunrise is committed to expanding initiatives, deepening partnerships and scaling employee volunteering beyond Zurich.
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Resources & further information
Since 2020, the partnership with Caritas has enabled regional digital inclusion programmes: digital meeting points, one-to-one mentoring and group courses. In 2024 alone, 750 people benefited from the meeting points and around 70 attended skills development courses. In addition, Sunrise is now focusing on supporting established Caritas programmes in Zurich with volunteer work by its employees: www.caritas.ch
Over 1,200 laptops were donated to Wir lernen weiter and distributed to those in need: www.wir-lernen-weiter.ch
As a founding member of ADIS (Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance), Sunrise shares best practices and promotes innovations for digital inclusion throughout Switzerland: www.adis.ch
Sunrise Sustainability Report 2024 (as part of the annual report)