Govt IT spend questioned

12:39 29th September 2008

Government proposals to spend £300 million on providing disadvantaged children with free laptops and internet access have been questioned by industry experts.

The chief executive of Sirius Corporation, Mark Taylor, has suggested that the sums quoted in the plans appear to be relatively high for what the government is getting.

Details of how to claim one of the million-plus laptop computers, as well as the configurations and likely suppliers will be made known in early October, according to the educational technology agency Becta.

"I am sure an order for a million units would give the government some bargaining power with hardware and network suppliers," said Mr Taylor.

"You can get broadband for around £10 a month and an Asus Eee PC, with free Linux, OpenOffice and Firefox, costs about £160, so £280 for a year's access to the internet is actually at retail rates," he added.

This policy move comes after concerns that deprived children are losing out because they do not have access to computers, particularly now that 90 per cent of jobcentre advertisements require a level of computer experience.

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