Pupils: Internet

Question

The government is working with commercial providers to accelerate gigabit capable broadband rollout to schools, alongside a joint £82 million investment from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education to enable all schools to have access to a high-speed connection by 2025.

Building on the £30 million investment made available in 2021 for the Connect the Classroom pilot programme, we are investing up to a further £150 million to upgrade schools that fall below our Wi-Fi connectivity standards in priority areas. By upgrading school Wi-Fi connectivity, teachers and schools can make the most of the benefits that digital technology can have in the classroom.

Whilst the department is investing to fix the basics, schools’ technology, including internet service provision, is managed from their central budgets, and schools have the autonomy to decide how this resource is spent so that they can prioritise their individual needs.

For internet connectivity for pupils at home, the government has provided support for over 130,000 families to get online through increases in mobile data and 4G wireless routers, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included partnering with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help over 33,000 disadvantaged children get online and delivering over 100,000 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.

If a family is struggling to afford the cost of internet access, there are affordable tariffs available from some telecom providers. These tariffs reduce the cost of staying online and may help families that might not be able to meet standard broadband contract terms.