ROTTERDAM, 2 February 2026 – Rotterdam has started a social internet pilot to help more people take part in daily life online. In Bloemhof, 250 households on a limited income will receive internet at a reduced rate from 1 February.
The pilot is being set up with housing association Woonstad and a large telecom provider. The city says it is part of a wider push towards digital inclusion, where your income does not decide whether you can access essential online services.
Pilot brings reduced-rate internet to 250 households
The focus is Bloemhof, a neighbourhood where the city says the need is clear: more and more of life in Rotterdam happens online, but not everyone has reliable access at home. The pilot aims to remove cost as a barrier, at least for this first group of households.
The city frames the project as a practical step towards an “inclusive city”, built around the idea that internet access is a basic provision rather than a luxury.
Digital access now affects almost everything
Rotterdam points out that digital services are now tied into everyday essentials, from contacting the municipality to education, work and healthcare. If you cannot get online easily, you can fall behind quickly, and that gap tends to deepen over time.
Alderman Faouzi Achbar, responsible for digital inclusion, puts it plainly: “In Rotterdam, someone’s income should never determine whether you can participate in the digital society. Internet is no longer a luxury, but a basic provision. With this pilot, we ensure residents get access to online services, education and work. We also give them the skills to really use it.”
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Training is part of the offer
Alongside the reduced-rate connection, participants can join a digital basic skills course (cursus digitale basisvaardigheden). The city says this includes learning how to use email, navigate online services, and use the internet safely.
Hogeschool Rotterdam is involved in the pilot to study its impact and to explore how this approach could be expanded across the city if the results are strong.
