![]() Without being aware that the program exists, you’re never going to sign up for it.” “Only about 25 percent of eligible households are even aware that the program exists. “Awareness about the ACP is very low nationally,” he said. Subsequently, a number of internet providers have committed to offering $30 a month plans, said Lynch, effectively making the internet free to many low-income households. One major new source of funding is the Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible households that apply $30 discounts toward their monthly internet bills. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any federal money available to families to pay for broadband, it’s just not flowing through schools to families. Plus, he said many schools were never well-equipped to fill this role in the first place. ![]() Schools are likely stepping back from offering home internet, whether it be through providing mobile hotspots or by brokering internet deals for families with local internet companies, because federal COVID-relief aid is running out, said Lynch. Well before this year, K-12 leaders and advocates for more equitable broadband connectivity were worried that as federal COVID relief aid ran out and partnerships forged during the height of the pandemic between school districts and internet service providers expired, millions of students would lose their home internet. ![]() Although more students most certainly have access now, it’s unclear how much that number has changed, and Lynch said there persists a sizable number of students who remain unconnected. Īround 15 million students lacked access to the internet at home at the beginning of the pandemic, said Lynch. Internet affordability, rather than a lack of access to high-speed broadband infrastructure, is the number one reason millions of students don’t have the internet at home, according to a report by EducationSuperHighway. “As the whole K-12 ecosystem has gotten more comfortable with technology in the classroom, digital learning, using these digital tools-which is a good thing overall-we need to make sure every student can access it equally and equitably,” he said. The pandemic also led to a surge in technology adoption, said Jack Lynch, the chief operating officer for EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit that advocates for better broadband access for homes and schools, which is putting more pressure on students to be connected at home. Even though the vast majority of students are back to attending school in person, they still need reliable home internet to fully participate in their education, whether it be completing homework assignments, getting virtual tutoring, or attending remote classes during inclement weather. ![]()
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