We could get free data this Christmas – perfect for keeping in touch with family and friends over the festive period

If we’re struggling to afford to keep our phones topped up these days, there’s a scheme offering free data this Christmas.

The National Databank, run by Virgin Media O2, expands on a project that ran last year over the festive period.

The free data could help us to stay online and keep in touch with loved-ones over Christmas.

It’s being rolled out to an extra 250 databank hubs across the country. This brings the total number of hubs to 1,600 – so there should be one near us.

The National Databank works like a food bank for data, but they give out free O2 mobile data, texts and calls. Virgin Media O2 has promised to give out 61 million GB of data by the end of 2025.

We could get up to 25GB per month for six months. Virgin Media O2 says that’s enough for 275 hours browsing the internet per month.

Charities Crisis and Change Please are also involved to help people who are homeless to get data. If this is us, we might even be able to get a free phone or device.

Digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation is behind the National Databank. It says that more than 8 in 10 people on low incomes are thinking about going without mobile data to save money.

With all the other bills we have to pay, it’s not surprising. But it means we could be left cut off from loved-ones over Christmas time. Or we could miss out on job opportunities or news about our benefits.

We can find our nearest data hub on this interactive map.

Image: Ekaterina Bolovtsova / Pexels