The digital divide has long been a simmering problem facing millions of students that took a global pandemic to bring to a boil. At the time, nearly 16 million students in the United States lacked home internet access, according to a widely cited report from Common Sense Media. Despite incremental progress made to narrow the digital divide, students’ success today hinges on having access to a connected device and high-speed internet in the classroom and at home.

The pandemic highlighted the disparities in internet access among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and the urgent need to address these inequalities. It also sparked a broader conversation about the importance of digital equity and the need for universal access to technology and the internet. These two realities increased momentum and focus on initiatives to bridge the digital divide — initiatives like Project 10Million.

In 2020, T-Mobile launched Project 10Million, a $10.7 billion commitment to bridge the digital divide by providing free internet and Wi-Fi hotspots for five years to disadvantaged K-12 students. Today, over 5.3 million students nationwide are connected to high-speed internet through their schools and at home.

In a Department of Education Office of Educational Technology blog post about the digital divide, authors found that “about six million learners and three million households currently face adoption barriers beyond availability and affordability.” The authors note that technical approaches, such as distributing devices and subsidizing internet subscription costs, are essential to solving the digital divide.

Yet, what my team and I find at T-Mobile is that device and connectivity adoption beyond the traditional school day requires strategic planning and an integrated device model that allows for the seamless use of both the device and the connectivity. Communication, training, software program resources, accountability models and parental engagement are all part of the adoption conversation and planning.

Read the full article about digital divide by Kiesha King at EdSurge.