Increasing Data Allowances on Mobile Devices for Remote Learning

Eligibility

This scheme is open to children and young people who:

• are facing disruption to their face-to-face education, or have been advised not to attend school
• don’t have access to a fixed broadband connection
• cannot afford the additional data needed to access educational resources  
• have access to a mobile device that uses a participating network

What information you will need to provide

To request extra mobile data, you will need to provide the following information:

• the account holder’s name

• your mobile number (a number beginning with ‘07’)

• your mobile network (O2, Vodafone, Smarty, EE, etc) – most smartphones display the name of the network on the top right or left of the screen

• whether you pay monthly or pay-as-you-go – if you top up your credit at a shop you are likely to be a Pay-as-you-go customer. If you have a monthly direct debit, you probably have a contract.  Account holders with monthly contracts need to be over the age of 18

Offers Available

Please note that the data increases are currently limited to the following networks:

• EE
• Vodafone
• Sky Mobile
• Three
• O2
• Smarty
• Virgin Mobile

Other providers may join the scheme at a later stage. 

If your network provider is not currently listed please contact the school office by e-mail (staugustines@gatedu.org) as there may be other ways we can help you.

Please see below for full details of each network offer.

EE

• Be aware that until the end of January, it may take EE some time to process requests.
• 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.

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 available to Pay Monthly customers identified as needing this support.
• 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.

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.

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.

Virgin 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.
• Virgin Mobile will aim to process the request within 14 days.
• Wi-Fi hotspots are open to all existing customers, including those on Pay-as-you-go. Customers on Pay-as-you-go will need to have a minimum of £5 credit. Instructions to download the app and find their nearest hotspot can be found by going to www.virginmedia.com/wifiapp.

Vodafone

• Be aware that until the end of January, it may take Vodafone some time to process requests.
• 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.

Privacy statement

1. For the purposes of data protection, as a school we need to let you know that the Department for Education (DfE) is running the Mobile Network Offer through schools and their trusts or local authorities.

2. If the offer is taken up by an adult account holder, the school will share the account holder’s name and mobile phone details with the DfE, who will share these with the relevant mobile network operator.

3. The mobile network operator will use that information to increase the data available for the account holder’s mobile device, as long as they qualify for the offer.

4. The adult account holder’s personal data is only shared with their mobile network operator for the purposes of the offer. No names of children or other adults, other than adult account holder, are shared with the DfE or the mobile network operator.

5. No personal information will be shared with the DfE if you do not want to take up the offer.

6. If you want to know more about how your personal information will be used before you take up the offer, we can send that to you first.

7. If you decide to take up the offer, you’ll get a text message from the Department for Education with more information about your data protection rights.

How to Apply

To apply please e-mail the school office at staugustines@gatedu.org to confirm that you have read and understood the privacy statement and provide the following information:

1. Mobile Phone Account holder name
2. Mobile Phone Network Provider
3. Mobile Phone Number
4. Pay-as-you-go or Monthly contract

Temporary Wireless 4G Router

Please note that If you have more than one child at home trying to access remote learning and do not have a fixed Broadband connection in your home you may be eligible to receive a temporary 4G wireless router to access the internet.  Please e-mail the school office if applicable to your situation.

If you have any queries please contact the school office.