As part of a plan to make Internet access available to the under privileged, the Government has confirmed the launch of a scheme wherein free computers and Internet access is to be given to lesser income families that reside in England.

The outline of the scheme was first publicised in September 2008 when the ₤300m Home Access Initiative was made public by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. An official confirmation has been made recently announcing that almost 300,000 families will now be given the chance to apply for the grant, to receive the free laptop and the Internet connection. Gordon Brown has been canvassing support for this free computer to low income groups idea ever since he was Chancellor in 1999.

Families that are successful in procuring the laptops would be able to use it for a year, with the Government funded Internet connection. They can then renew the connection, at their own discretion and by making payment on their own while the laptop can be used by them for life.

As acknowledgement of their poor financial status, the government identifies children from lesser income family and offers them a free meal scheme implemented through the schooling system across Britain. However, for the laptop scheme, eligibility criteria will be slightly different, government sources state. In effect, all those who avail of the free meal scheme will not automatically be qualified for free laptops too.

Low income families that successfully get the grant will receive their free computer and Internet connection by 2011.