BT will provide free unlimited mobile data to families that have no internet access to help children access online learning tools during the latest coronavirus lockdown.
The move follows calls from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and others for technology firms to do more to support students suddenly home-learning due to coronavirus lockdown measures and school closures.
As well as unlimited data, a number of educational websites will be ‘zero rated’ – requiring no mobile data – as part of the new ‘Lockdown Learning’ support scheme.
The telecom firm, which owns mobile operator EE, confirmed it would now offer free unlimited data to pupils in remote learning as part of a Government scheme.
BT is one of a number of providers offering an amount of mobile data allowance to pupils learning from home due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
BT will provide free unlimited mobile data to families that have no internet access to help children access online learning tools during the latest coronavirus lockdown. Stock image
Technology firms have pledged to work with the Government to ensure schoolchildren are able to adequately study remotely after coming under pressure to improve access to data and devices during England’s latest lockdown.
According to estimates from Ofcom, between 1.14 million and 1.78 million children in the UK do not have home access to a laptop, desktop or tablet, and that more than 880,000 children live in a household with only a mobile internet connection.
The Government has said that more than one million laptops and tablets will be provided to pupils by the end of the academic year to help with remote study.
The communications regulator’s Connected Nations report, which was published in December, said 190,000 properties across the UK cannot access a ‘decent’ broadband connection.
In recent days, a number of network operators who are part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Get Help with Technology programme – which involves mobile firms increasing data for pupils – took steps to increase their allowances.
The Department for Education (DfE) Get Help with Tech scheme is being supported by EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile.
BT, Three and Smarty all confirmed they would be offering unlimited data for free to pupils stuck learning from home due to the coronavirus lockdown.
O2 confirmed it would offer an extra 40GB of free data per month to pupils as part of the government-backed scheme.
The BT says it will also provide free Wifi vouchers to schools and charities to allow disadvantaged pupils to access mobile hotspots around the country.
Internet and technology firms have been urged to do more to support schoolchildren forced to study at home during England’s new national lockdown.
There have been particular concerns raised about those from disadvantaged families who lack access to internet connections and devices.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for political pressure to also be brought to bear on tech firms to provide more free or subsidised data for children studying at home.
‘Data is a big problem. Everybody needs to try and make this work and that includes the companies that can take away the charging for data,’ he said.
Mary Bousted, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said it was down to the Prime Minister to push network operators to make data more affordable.
On Thursday, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said every child has the right to a good education.
Adding: ‘It is not acceptable that some children are unable to learn, through no fault of their own, because of a lack of technology, or because their home circumstances prevent them being able to work effectively.’
Marc Allera, chief executive of the BT Group’s consumer division, said the firm wanted to ensure nobody was left behind while face-to-face teaching was on hold.
‘We’ve been working closely with the DfE since the start of the pandemic, to help get kids connected, and we’re now stepping up our partnership to offer unlimited data.;
He added that they were also working harder to get Wifi passes in the hands of families and children that need them the most.
‘We’re also aiming to zero-rate some of the most popular learning portals this month, to ensure critical learning can continue even when data access runs out. We’ll reveal more on this in the coming week.’
BT is one of a number of providers offering an amount of mobile data allowance to pupils learning from home due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Stock image
BT says it will also enhance its ‘Skills for Tomorrow’ service that provides free support and information on key digital skills to school children from 4-11 years old.
The firm also confirmed it will continue with its ‘social tariff’ aimed at low income families called BT Basic – a £10 a month fixed broadband and phone line service to help those on low incomes manage and meet their data needs.
Matt Hood, principal of the online-based learning hub, Oak National Academy, said the cost of internet access was the ‘single biggest issue’ preventing children from accessing learning during lockdown.
He said that pupils from the poorest families were in danger of being ‘locked out of lockdown learning’, adding it was ‘time for the big telecom firms to do their bit.’
‘It’s very simple: make education sites zero-rated. This cannot happen soon enough and we would urge them to do the right thing and to do it quickly.’