Vodafone UK has launched new connected plans that give organisations in the public and private sector a way to offer cost-effective connectivity to their vulnerable customers. The firm said that these plans build on its schools.connected program which helped kids get online to continue their education at home during the lockdown.
The new scheme is called communities.connected and will run until the end of June, by which time lockdown measures will have been significantly eased and a large proportion of the country will have received their first vaccine and some will have got their second jab. The new plans have been designed for, but are not limited to, schools, further education colleges, universities, local authorities, and charities.
The plans start from £15 per month for a SIM-only, unlimited data contract. Customers can also buy a six and 12-month package which includes unlimited data and a free dongle or MiFi device (that is, a mobile hotspot) for £100 (£16.66 per month) and £180 (£15 per month) respectively.
Through its schools.connected programme, Vodafone has given 350,000 SIM cards to 9,000 schools and colleges. It has also donated 10,000 dongles to help children get online and it has donated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation which will use the money to hand out 500 computer kits to disadvantaged young people who don’t have computer access.
Commenting on the new initiative, Vodafone Business UK Director Anne Sheehan said:
“We have worked hard throughout the pandemic to connect the most vulnerable and enable children to connect to online learning and were delighted with the response to our schools.connected programme.
We know many of our customers want sustainable and affordable connectivity solutions to enable them to provide connectivity to their most vulnerable customers. I hope communities.connected meets this need.”
If you’re in the UK and need to find a more affordable phone or broadband provider, Citizens Advice has a page giving you important information on switching as well as links to approved comparison websites that offer up the best deals.