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Totally agree that if connectivity is not ubiquitous, technology is not enough on its own: I run a laptop leasing scheme in a tough school in Croydon. As successful as it is, the people who drop off are in the lowest 10% socio-economically and there is no "direct" funding (capital spending only) to alleviate the fact they can't afford phone lines. As my school can't blanket-buy connectivity - it is unfiltered and open to abuse - we don't. So whilst my scheme is supposed to address the "digital divide" and hopefully bridge it, in some cases we end up actually widening the gap. See New Addington OnLine website for more.

One idea I have come across is using a schools 100 MB/s broadband access that lies dormant every evening from 4pm to 8am. Technologies exist that can beam this out to at least the local community reducing the total outlay on 1:1 broadband connectivity at home. This can include primary schools to spread the web and as part of a wider charitable laptop scheme you can spread the cost of 1:1 broadband across the whole fleet

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