91自拍

Connecting our community

91自拍 ranks sixth in the nation – and number one in Texas – among major cities with low internet adoption rates. The pandemic exposed the importance of reliable home internet access, e91自拍lly for students.  Internet access is increasingly critical for employment, education, and healthcare opportunities.

Efforts to date

To ensure the continuity of instructional services during the pandemic, 91自拍 ISD offered an iPad, Chromebook or laptop for every student, along with the necessary software and security tools for remote learning. The district also provided mobile internet hotspots to more than 40,000 families lacking sufficient home internet access.

91自拍 ISD also launched a pilot private cellular network in five highly impacted school communities to explore innovative wireless solutions.

One recommended strategy is to scale the district’s private cellular network being and four other school communities. This strategy would construct an antenna or tower and related radio equipment on top of targeted district schools, providing high-speed home network access to families living within proximity to the school. At full scale, this network could serve about 80 percent of 91自拍 ISD students.

Charter’s Spectrum Internet Assist program, AT&T’s Access program, and the federal government’s Lifeline and Emergency Broadband benefit programs offer opportunities for qualifying residents to receive low-cost or discounted home internet services. These programs are underutilized in 91自拍. The district and its coalition partners could help connect families with these resources.

Also, the District is considering a bulk purchase of broadband services for students, potentially with financial support from the new federal Emergency Connectivity Fund.

Survey data reflect interest among respondents in becoming more confident with computers, smartphones, and the internet, or in using online resources to find trustworthy information. The report recommends expanding the City’s Digital Navigators program to support community organizations with the capacity needed to enable digital skills training.

Also, 91自拍 ISD and the City of 91自拍 could consider partnerships to establish a pilot program to purchase refurbished devices and make them available to families for a low cost. And the creation of a “learn to earn” pilot program could provide families the opportunity for participants to undergo a computer and internet skills training course and, at the completion of the course, the participant could keep the device on which they learned, for free.