Good news alert! This story contains nothing but good news. For those who now find good news unsettling (all of us) we suggest you sit down and read with caution.
Broadband provider Hyperoptic has announced it is providing free high-speed broadband to 37 local authorities across the UK, including Tower Hamlets, to help low-income families access to online home-schooling.
Ofcom has estimated that more than 880,000 children live in a household with internet access only via mobile phone.
Tower Hamlets residents with poor or no internet will be offered the chance to have a high speed connection installed by Hyperoptic with no usage charges until the end of the summer term.
There is no obligation to stay with the service after that.
BT, EE (owned by BT), Vodafone, Sky, Virgin Media, Sky, O2 and Three have all announced similar packages.
The Enquirer does not have contact details for the Hyperoptic offer at the moment, we will update this page when we do.
The problem of children not having an internet device each to use on the internet still remains.
Enquirer Comment
Well done Hyperoptic! Access to high speed broadband should be regarded as an essential utility such as water, gas or electricity but until that happens we applaud Hyperoptic for this initiative.
Many factors keep Tower Hamlets poor, mainly inept politicians, but the lack of good broadband access borough-wide hampers any attempt to dig the borough out of its poverty.
Home schooling is enough of a challenge at the best of times – and this is most certainly not the best of times – but now those who cannot afford high speed broadband will now have access to it.
Ditch Liveable Streets
Another problem is what happens when this Hyperoptic deal ends? Some may be able to pay for the service, many not. One idea might be to ditch the ridiculous Liveable Streets scheme and put the money towards subsidising continued high speed access to the internet.
Good idea? Well dream on ‘cos it will never happen, Tower Hamlets council has neither the imagination or political will to implement such a simple idea.
We have no idea when we will have another good news story so we suggest reading this one again
Note: The Enquirer is not in any way supported by Hyperoptic, we share the BT connection of our mate Terry who lives next door. Cheers Terry!
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