The “Stay Connected K-12 solution” is a multi-year effort that will offer high-speed Internet at no cost to the families, the school district and Spectrum said. It’s designed to close the “homework gap,” and allow students to continue learning at home without interruption.
“Stay Connected K-12 from Spectrum Enterprise is a key tool because Internet access at home can create a richer, more satisfactory learning experience,” CMSD CEO Eric Gordan said in a statement.
The program will help students have the best educational experience possible, Charter Executive Vice President and President of Spectrum Enterprise Bill Archer said in a statement.
“The turnkey solution is easy for school administrators to put into place, freeing them to maximize their focus on learning and student achievement,” Archer said.
Along with “robust speeds,” Spectrum says it will offer other features including:
- Download speeds up to 50 Mbps to support video collaboration and large file transfers.
- In-home WiFi to connect all of the WiFi-enabled devices in the residence.
- Unlimited usage with no data caps, providing schools/districts with a consistent cost per user.
- Self-installation kit with modem and router that allows families to get connected quickly and easily, with no intervention required from schools/districts.
- 24/7/365 technical support, relieving schools/districts of the responsibility of technical support for the end-user connections.
The new initiative is flexible for school districts, Spectrum said. It allows them to add students when needed, with no minimum term commitment on any of the connections that are provided.
Students and families who are participating in the program will receive Spectrum modems and self-install instructions by mail. Customer support is available 24 hours a day for those that need it.
The coronavirus pandemic exposed a substantial digital divide among families throughout Cuyahoga County, especially as students made the switch to learning online. In 2020, at least one in five of Cuyahoga County’s households – 20 percent – lacked Internet access.
To address the issue, the county has been partnering with companies like TMobile and the Cleveland Clinic and nonprofit organizations like DigitalC and PCs for People to create a digital equity coalition.
Spectrum recently partnered with Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority to provide Internet to residents living in 19 of its properties to help bridge the gap.
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