Schools Minister Jim Knight has outlined new details about the UK governments £300m 'Broadband for All' scheme (original news), which aims to help get low income families hooked up to the Internet by funding their connection with special grants (worth between £100 and £700 per family).

It's understood that trials will begin with 20,000 disadvantaged families resident in Suffolk and Oldham from February next year. To quality the families would need to either have an annual income of less than £15,500 or be on benefits. It's estimated that 35% of families currently have no Internet access at all.

The scheme claims it will supply those approved to take part with enough money to buy a computer, any necessary software and of course one year’s FREE Internet access. They will also gain three years of technical support, although the details remain vague.

Furthermore the chosen computer and broadband Internet access package will be delivered by one or a choice of several as yet undecided pre-"approved" ISPs; services and usage allowances are unknown. Hopefully poor quality providers will not be used, although we suspect the worst.

The scheme seeks to make it possible for every schoolchild in England to have web access by 2011. Jim Knight also hopes that I.T. firms can be encouraged to offer cheaper deals to all children aged 7 to 18 in related areas.