*** Great news – BT Mobile, iD Mobile and Lycamobile have joined this scheme ***
This scheme temporarily increases data allowances for mobile phone users on certain networks. This is so that children and young people can access remote education if their face-to-face education is disrupted.
Who can get help
Schools, trusts and local authorities can request mobile data increases for children and young people who:
- don’t have access to a fixed broadband connection
- cannot afford the additional data needed to access educational resources or social care services
- have access to a mobile device that uses a participating network
- are facing disruption to their face-to-face education, or have been advised not to attend school
Children with access to a mobile phone on one of the following networks might be able to benefit:
- BT Mobile
- EE
- iD Mobile
- Lycamobile
- O2
- Sky Mobile
- SMARTY
- Tesco Mobile
- Three
- Virgin Mobile
- Vodafone
Other providers may join the scheme at a later stage.
The amount of data someone will get depends on their mobile network (see below for details). Some networks can’t offer data to Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) customers.
When the request has been processed the customer will receive:
- a text message when their free data has been activated
- when their free data will end
- that this data can be used when tethering a mobile phone to another device for internet access
The Network Offers:
BT Mobile
- The recipient will get unlimited data per month until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is only available to Pay Monthly customers.
- The recipient must have been a BT Mobile customer for at least 3 months.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- BT Mobile will aim to process the request within 14 days.
EE
- The recipient will get 20GB of additional data per month until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay Monthly and Pay-as-you-go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- EE will process no more than 60,000 requests across all schools. If they reach this limit, they will not accept further requests.
iD Mobile
- The recipient will get unlimited data per month until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay Monthly and Pay as you go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- iD Mobile will aim to process the request within 14 days.
Lycamobile
- The recipient will get 20GB of additional data per month until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available for active Pay as you go customers with a Lycamobile SIM card. They must have had credit, and made and received calls, in each of the last 3 months.
- The recipient must have an active £10, £15 or £20 bundle, which includes data.
- The monthly data increase can only be given if the recipient continues to have an active £10, £15 or £20 bundle each month. If the qualifying bundle expires, Lycamobile will not provide additional mobile data.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- Lycamobile will aim to process the request within 14 days.
O2
Be aware that until the end of January, it may take O2 some time to process requests.
- The recipient will get 40GB of additional data per month until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
Sky Mobile
- The recipient will get 100GB of additional data.
- The offer is only available to Pay Monthly customers identified as needing this support. It’s not available to Pay-as-you-go customers.
- Sky Mobile customers will be able to see the data uplift in their piggybank.
- Sky Mobile will aim to process the request within 14 days.
- Sky Mobile will process no more than 1800 requests across all schools. If they reach this limit, they will not accept further requests.
SMARTY
- The recipient will get unlimited data until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay Monthly and Pay-as-you-go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- Smarty will aim to process the request within 14 days.
Tesco Mobile
- The recipient will get 20GB of additional data per month until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is only available to Pay Monthly customers identified as needing this support. It’s not available to Pay-as-you-go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- Tesco Mobile will aim to process the request within 14 days.
- Tesco Mobile will process no more than 1,000 requests across all schools. If they reach this limit, they will not accept further requests.
Three
- The recipient will get unlimited data until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay Monthly and Pay-as-you-go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- Three will aim to process the request within 14 days.
Three
- The recipient will get unlimited data until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay Monthly and Pay-as-you-go customers.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
- Three will aim to process the request within 14 days.
Vodafone
- The recipient will get unlimited data until 31 July 2021.
- The offer is available to both Pay monthly and Pay as you go customers. Pay as you go customers must have a Big Value Bundle worth £10 or above to be eligible.
- A text message will be sent to the nominated device once the additional data has been added to the account.
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