Towards a Scottish Minimum Digital Living Standard: Phase 2

24 Jul 2025 11:35 AM

This report documents findings from the second phase of research into the use of a Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) for Scotland, building upon the interim report with further engagement with stakeholders and families via surveys and interviews.

Introduction

This report presents research commissioned by the Scottish Government to explore the relevance and implementation of a Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) in Scotland. Focusing on households with children, the study builds on a body of work that developed a UK MDLS (Yates et al., 2024) and an MDLS for Wales (Yates et al., 2023).

This report presents phase two of the research, which consists of two components. First, it includes a confirmatory exploration of ideas about implementing MDLS from Phase 1 through additional survey-based stakeholder engagement to identify opportunities, barriers, and benefits. Second, phase two involved interviews with Scottish families to examine MDLS in the context of potential challenges and support for households in meeting their digital needs under the MDLS framework. The first phase of the project also included two strands of research (reported here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/towards-scottish-minimum-digital-living-standard-interim-report/). Focus groups with parents and young people evaluated the relevance and differences in digital goods, services, and skills needed by families with children living in Scotland. Additionally, interviews with stakeholders explored potential approaches to implementing a Scottish MDLS.

Findings from the first phase highlighted the potential importance of a Scottish MDLS in tackling digital exclusion and promoting social inclusion. While there is enthusiasm for the initiative, there is also an acknowledgement of the challenges to be addressed, such as rural connectivity gaps, affordability, and the necessity for coordinated policy efforts. Implementing a Scottish MDLS is considered a crucial step toward achieving equitable digital inclusion across the nation. This report elaborates on these themes to investigate and discuss these challenges further and to inform and support any measures moving forward.

Click here for the full press release