- T-Mobile Us Inc (NASDAQ: TMUS) recently announced it has launched Project 10Million, which is a $10.7 billion initiative aimed at delivering internet connectivity to millions of underserved student households at no cost to them
T-Mobile Us Inc (NASDAQ: TMUS) recently announced it has launched Project 10Million, which is a $10.7 billion initiative aimed at delivering internet connectivity to millions of underserved student households at no cost to them. As part of a plan to partner with school districts across the country, the program offers free wireless hotspots, free high-speed data, and access to laptops and tablets at-cost.
As the COVID-19 pandemic makes remote learning the new norm for millions of students across the U.S., the Un-carrier is expanding Project 10Million to offer more data options, including unlimited, for school districts to pass on to eligible student households at no cost to them.
Before the pandemic, more than 9 million of America’s 56 million school-age kids did not have access to reliable internet and could not complete after-school assignments. And This critical homework gap has tremendous short- and long-term impacts: lower test scores, lower grades and limited opportunities after graduation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented 50 million students are learning remotely. And Those without reliable internet connectivity will face an even bigger schoolwork gap as they are unable to participate in any type of online classroom learning.
This program benefits unconnected students trying to keep up in school, parents who watch their kids struggle because they cannot afford internet access, and the teachers who are tackling the everyday challenge of teaching kids who can’t get connected at home.
The need for equitable access to the Internet more crucial than ever. And T-Mobile has zeroed in on a bold goal: helping every single unconnected student in the U.S. get access to the internet connectivity they need to learn.
In response to the unique learning challenges students are experiencing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, T-Mobile is expanding Project 10Million by giving school districts additional plan options with more data to best meet their students’ current needs.
Through Project 10Million, T-Mobile is addressing the homework gap experienced by more than 9 million children across the country who are unable to get online to complete at-home assignments. And Project 10Million offers free wireless hotspots, up to 100GB per year of free high-speed data, and access to at-cost tablets and laptops, or the equivalent value of approximately $500 annually per student household.
As COVID-19 forces up to 50 million students out of the physical classroom and into part- or full-time remote learning, the need for connectivity and greater bandwidth has dramatically increased. What was a homework gap has turned into an even more massive schoolwork gap when students without internet access are completely left out of learning.
In order to address this urgent need, T-Mobile has expanded Project 10Million by allowing participating school districts to apply the value of the free program to one of two new plans with MORE data. Schools can select a 100GB per month option or a fully unlimited plan.
Project 10Million is the third and final component of the Un-carrier 1.0 5G for Good commitments that the company announced before its merger with Sprint was approved. And since the completion of the merger, the company has now launched all three commitments, which also include Connecting Heroes and T-Mobile Connect.
KEY QUOTES:
“Education is the great leveler, but without internet access, kids will be left behind. T-Mobile has a big goal – to deliver connectivity to every child who needs it across the U.S. Starting now with our historic Project 10Million commitment, we’re going to help open A LOT of doors to opportunity that might have previously been closed. This issue is even more critical as the COVID-19 pandemic has completely shifted learning for many from the classroom to online. Big issues need big solutions, and that’s exactly why we’re not just launching but significantly enhancing Project 10Million and giving flexibility to educators so they can best address the unique needs of their students with plans that offer more data. As the supercharged Un-carrier, we now have the resources and network capacity to deliver reliable connectivity to students across the U.S. — and to tackle the critical homework gap and the schoolwork gap head-on!”
— T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert
“Since the start of the pandemic, T-Mobile and Sprint have worked hand-in-hand with school districts, state governments and technology partners to bring connectivity solutions to those who need it most, connecting more than 1.6 million students in less than six months. During the pandemic, we’ve had countless conversations with school districts and educators. We’ve consistently heard that they need more options that fit the unique needs of their students. We have expanded Project 10Million to tap into T-Mobile’s network resources and capacity, and take our support of educators and students to a whole new level. We’re going to make a HUGE difference for millions of students!”
— Mike Katz, executive vice president of T-Mobile for Business
