Under-privileged kids in Birmingham get mobile broadband in council link up

According to reports many under-privileged kids in the Birmingham area are being offered access to free mobile broadband service through the mobile network provider Vodafone, and this forms part of a link up between Birmingham City Council and Vodafone.

For many under-privileged kids having little or no access to services such as broadband can put them at a real disadvantage compared to kids that do have regular or constant access to these services. According to recent reports, however, this could all change for many under-privileged kids in Birmingham, who are getting access to free mobile broadband through the mobile network provider Vodafone.

The free mobile broadband is part of a link up between Birmingham City Council and the mobile broadband network provider Vodafone, and as part of the pilot scheme around four hundred and fifty children in the area are to receive the loan of a laptop with mobile broadband Internet access included. The purpose of the scheme is to provide children with access to resources and tools that they would not otherwise have.

Councillor Les Lawrence, cabinet member for children, young people and families at Birmingham City Council, stated: “This is a highly flexible and cost-effective way for us to provide some of the most disadvantaged homes in the region with mobile broadband access.”

The government agency Becta has funded the scheme in Birmingham, and it will means that many kids that currently have no access to broadband services, which could adversely affect their education, will be able to enjoy the benefits of getting online via mobile broadband services. The parents of the kids are also being given the opportunity to improve their IT skills as part of the programme.

Sources – Broadband Choice