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In a recent development, new reports reveal that T-Mobile is planning on delivering free internet to around 10 million students studying from home due to the pandemic.
Notably, the company announced this back in 2019. It was planned that T-Mobile would provide 10 million US homes access to free internet to curb the “homework gap.”
But that was dependent only if the merger of T-Mobile with Sprint went smoothly. And now, since the merger has happened, T-Mobile has opened up applications for this project. It is called the “Project 10Million.”
The merger with Sprint has given T-Mobile a good lead in the number of retail stores. This number is greater than its rivals, AT&T and Verizon. At present, the number stands approximately at 7,500 stores.
Moreover, this merger not only puts T-Mobile across the map of the US but also makes its presence available to more number of people.
The current COVID-19 pandemic situation has put the entire economy at the back burner. Companies are forced to continue working from home.
Not only companies, schools, and colleges are also providing classes online. Besides, as per Businesswire, even before the pandemic hit, 9 million of America’s 56 million school-age kids did not have access to the internet.
T-Mobile has allocated $10.7 billion for Project 10Million over the next decade
And now, the current pandemic has added more students to the tally. Home internet has become so important for the students to complete their assignments and school work.
Though there are packages that the tutors or parents can take for their students/kids, it is not always enough. Data limits are not sufficient for Zoom, YouTube, and loads of other video-streaming platforms.
With this T-Mobile Project 10Million, internet access will be provided to students. School administrations can apply for this program. But they have to share student’s ZIP codes.
This will enable T-Mobile to confirm service availability. Once cleared, schools will then distribute these hotspots and devices to its students with T-Mobile’s assistance for setup and technical support.
Students will be provided a free hotspot and 100GB of data by T-Mobile
Besides, parents can also volunteer for schools. Once the application is approved, students will get a free hotspot and 100GB of data for one year. This amounts to 8GB data per month.
This might not sound much for making Zoom calls and staying connected always. However, Schools can take the grant money ($500 per student) and apply for a discounted $12 monthly for 100GB data offer each month.
Additionally, they can also opt for an unlimited data plan for $15 per month. T-Mobile can also provide the students with tablets or laptops at cost.
The free plan will end after 100GB or 365 days, whichever comes first. But students will be able to access the internet at low internet speeds even after the data cap gets over.