Sprint Provides Free Broadband for Students in Illinois
Sprint has committed to offer free high
speed Internet service to students in several Illinois public school
districts.
The four-year agreement will provide more than 1,600 Illinois students with
high speed LTE broadband service, so they can connect to the Internet from home
through a Wi-Fi hotspot. The total estimated value of this service is $3
million.
According to the Illinois
Report Card, 54.2 per cent of students in the state live in low income
households, identified as those "who are eligible to receive free or
reduced-price lunches, live in substitute care or whose families receive
public aid." Many of these students may not have access to the Internet at
home, which can make it more difficult for them to complete homework
assignments, find information about postsecondary education or apply for jobs.
This service from Sprint aims to help bridge that "digital divide" for low
income students in several Illinois school districts, including High School District 214, Maine Township District 207, Leyden 212, Glenbard Township and Hillside 93.
"As educators, we are challenged to meet students where they are and prepare
them for success in college and their careers," said David Schuler,
superintendent of High School District 214, in a prepared statement. "This
service provided by Sprint levels the playing field and gives all students the
opportunity to continue learning once the school day ends, complete assignments
for class and research and apply for colleges."
This service is part of a commitment the company made last year to provide
wireless broadband connectivity for 50,000 low-income K-12 students across the
United States as part of the White House's ConnectED initiative, which aims to connect 99 percent of students to high-speed Internet
by 2018.
Further information about Sprint's ConnectED program can be found on the company's site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].