LAUSD to Provide Internet Connectivity for Students Who Don’t Have Access

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the largest district in California and second-largest in the nation, will provide internet connectivity to as many as 100,000 students who do not have access at home. LAUSD schools will remain closed at least until May 1 over concerns surrounding COVID-19, the district recently announced.

According to LAUSD, Verizon will be the internet provider for the students. “This agreement is a critical component in the district’s plan for students to continue learning as campuses remain closed in response to COVID-19.”

“The digital divide is very real, as many as 100,000 of our students lack access to the internet at home,” LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a prepared statement. “We must find a way for all students to continue to learn while schools are closed and this partnership with Verizon will help to do that.”

“Access to distance learning and reliable connectivity is a critical component to the success of the LAUSD’s mission,” said Andrés Irlando, senior vice president and president public sector and Verizon Connect at Verizon, also in a prepared statement. “Verizon is proud to partner with LAUSD to help bridge the digital divide and keep students connected to their teachers, schools and each other during this unprecedented time.”

LAUSD did not disclose terms of the deal. We will update this story when details of the deal become available.

Find more resources for schools during the COVID-19 crisis here.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • blue AI cloud connected to circuit lines, a server stack, and a shield with a padlock icon

    Report: AI Security Controls Lag Behind Adoption of AI Cloud Services

    According to a recent report from cybersecurity firm Wiz, nearly nine out of 10 organizations are already using AI services in the cloud — but fewer than one in seven have implemented AI-specific security controls.

  • stacks of glowing digital documents with circuit patterns and data streams

    Mistral AI Intros Advanced AI-Powered OCR

    French AI startup Mistral AI has announced Mistral OCR, an advanced optical character recognition (OCR) API designed to convert printed and scanned documents into digital files with "unprecedented accuracy."

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Personalize AI

    Microsoft has introduced a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.

  • teenager interacts with a chatbot on a computer screen

    Character.AI Rolls Out New Parental Insights Feature Amid Safety Concerns

    Chatbot platform Character.AI has introduced a new Parental Insights feature aimed at giving parents a window into their children's activity on the platform. The feature allows users under 18 to share a weekly report of their chatbot interactions directly with a parent's e-mail address.