All schools to have high speed internet by 2025

The government has announced that every school in England will have access to high speed internet by 2025, as part of the latest plans to roll out lightning-fast gigabit broadband across the UK.

Speaking at the Bett Show in London, the Education Secretary said that a £150 million fund will support schools most in need to upgrade their Wi-Fi connections. Over the course of the next three years, the Department for Education will reach out to schools in priority areas to facilitate the introduction of faster and more reliable connectivity.

The department is also publishing its first set of technology standards, aimed at supporting schools and colleges in understanding which technologies they should have in place to best support effective teaching. The standards refer specifically to broadband and in-school connectivity.

The £150 million provided to help schools upgrade their technology will include those in the department’s previously identified Education Investment Areas. These 55 areas were first set out in the Levelling Up White Paper in February this year and refer to areas of the country where school outcomes are the weakest. They will receive targeted investment, support and action to help children from all backgrounds and areas succeed at the very highest levels.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Digital technology, and the data and infrastructure that underpins it, is changing the way we live, work, and learn. We need to use our experience from the pandemic as a springboard to embed new and better ways of using technology in schools, and across education. This new investment moves us a giant step forward to helping ensure that every school across the country has the best technology.

“Upgrading schools to high speed broadband, setting out clear standards so that schools know what technology they should have in place, as well as providing funding to support them in achieving this, is the latest way we are levelling up education across the country.”