Community News

Updated: Free WiFi for Online Learning During COVID-19

Refer your families to these services to help them keep up with school work

Nya:wëh to Deneen L Hernandez for sharing this information

Reprinted from thejournal.com | May 12, 2020

(Updated May 12, 2020; originally published April 30, 2020) While EducationSuperHighway recently reported that the classroom connectivity gap was “now closed,” with 99 percent of schools on fiber, that didn’t take into account that school would move home in a time of coronavirus. The latest reporting by the Federal Communications Commission, found that the number of people lacking a connection of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload was 21.3 million in the United States at the end of 2017. Some 4.3 million were in rural America or tribal lands. According to Common Sense Media, that translated to almost 12 million children nationwide in homes without a broadband connection.

How school districts are getting education delivered to those students varies from location to location. To help your schools reach students who may lack broadband connectivity, here’s a list of wireless networking options they may be able to take advantage of. We’ve listed those that are available in more than just a handful of states first.

We developed the compilation by starting with a list of telecommunications companies that have signed the Federal Communications Commission’s “Keep Americans Connected” pledge. Editors culled through the list specifically seeking information online about those companies that provided free service to students in their coverage areas and/or free public WiFi hotspots that students could access for some portion of each day while sitting in their cars or otherwise being physically isolated from others in the vicinity.

We will continue updating this list as information becomes available. If you know of other services not included on the list, please send details with a link to rkelly@1105media.com.

Large Companies

AT&T (national coverage): Working with qualified schools in its service areas to provide free, unlimited data plans for 60 days to students for new school-issued tablets, laptops and hotspots for homework and internet connectivity. That offer runs through May 23, 2020. Schools can also protect their students with free access to AT&T’s AccessMyLAN security and filtering software. https://about.att.com/story/2020/covid_19_education.html

Atlantic Broadband (CT, MD, ME, NH, PA, SC, VA): Offering free internet service for 60 days. Providing free WiFi hotspots in the service area. https://atlanticbb.com/my-services/my-account/wifi-hotspots

C Spire (national coverage): Offering free wireless data to K-12 students for educational purposes. Piloting complimentary WiFi for students in select parking areas. https://www.cspire.com/cms/wireless/cspire-cares-covid-19-relief/

Cable One (AL, AR, AZ, IA, ID, KS, MO, MS, NE, ND, NM, OK, TN, TX): Providing free WiFi hotspots in the service area. http://one2one.sparklight.com/sparklight-extends-unlimited-data-on-internet-plans-through-may-12-2020/

There are MANY companies offering Free WiFi during this time. Please refer to the following link for more sources:

https://thejournal.com/Articles/2020/04/30/Free-WiFi-for-Online-Learning-During-COVID19.aspx?Page=2