By Gavin Mackintosh-
Almost 20% of Uk schools face at least a five-year wait for access to full-fibre broadband,The Eye Of Media.Com has heard.
New data from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport data show 3,835 schools are in postcodes “that do not have access to full-fibre or are currently not in areas of proposed commercial build within the next five years”.
A written response by the schools minister, Rob Walker, appears to contradict government claims to have connected 1,000 schools to “top-of-the-class full-fibre broadband”.
An estimated £27 m of government funding has actually been injected into over 1,000 schools, but thousands of schools remain without full internet access, but Walker, said the government remained “committed to investing £5 billion to bring gigabit coverage to the hardest to reach areas”.
It would also “continue to work with suppliers to accelerate this investment, taking account of industry capacity to bid for, and deliver, contracts to build in uncommercial areas alongside their commercial plans”.
Walker also pointed out that the figures for school connectivity did not account for those that “already have access to fibre through a private leased line arrangement to enable gigabit-capable connectivity”.
“These figures are also open to flux as commercial build plans evolve over time,” he added.
The absence of internet in any schools is no excuse for underachievement of students, which generally depends on individual focus and parental support.
A government spokesperson said it wanted “all schools in the country to have access to fast internet”.
“We are committed to continued investment, ensuring that every school has access to modern internet connectivity in the classroom – benefiting thousands more children and teachers.
“We are working to accelerate connectivity to schools and the Government’s Gigabit Hubs programme will provide fast internet to around 2,000 schools. Separately, we are investing up to £30 million in a pilot to upgrade schools’ digital infrastructure in around 1,000 schools, allowing them to benefit from fast Wi-Fi and cloud services.”