Disadvantaged schoolchildren are being offered free mobile broadband services as part of a link-up between Birmingham City Council and leading broadband provider Vodafone UK.

Over 450 children in Birmingham are being loaned laptops with mobile broadband internet access on the Vodafone network in the pilot phase of the scheme.

The aim is to provide children with access to learning programmes and educational resources who would otherwise not have been able to access them.

It has been funded by the government agency Becta, with parents of the children being offered the chance to develop their IT skills as part of the programme.

"This is a highly flexible and cost-effective way for us to provide some of the most disadvantaged homes in the region with mobile broadband access," said councillor Les Lawrence, cabinet member for children, young people and families at Birmingham City Council.

In other news, Vodafone has announced that it is launching a dedicated customer service team to for its emergency services customers.

Vodafone said it means that customers such as fire crews, police forces and ambulance response teams will receive the best possible support for their mobile broadband services and other products.

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