Through the Oklahoma Department of Education’s efforts, 175 school districts will receive mobile internet access and devices through 50,000 Verizon Unlimited 4G data plans and Jetpacks. It was awarded through a grant process using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds from the CARES Act.
“This pandemic has underscored the inequities of the digital divide that hinder opportunities for so many of our children,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister. “We know one-fourth of our students lack reliable home internet access. Many districts have used a portion of the funds allocated to them under the CARES Act to purchase a sufficient number of devices for every student to have access to technology, an effort we encouraged through incentive grants earlier this summer.
“But a device without connectivity is like a book in a pitch-dark room. We are grateful that this partnership with Verizon and OneNet will make a critical difference in ensuring many thousands of children and families will now have the opportunity for robust distance learning.”
OneNet is providing content filtering and technical support at no cost to the districts. OneNet is a division of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and provides broadband and internet services to public school districts, libraries, and higher education institutions.
The devices will go to lower income students. Families who don’t qualify can pay for the service at a discounted rate.
