[1st-mile-nm] Udall, Gardner Introduce Bill to Put Wi-Fi on School Buses

[Jeff]

This is a very nice gesture but implementing it is another discussion.  I recently looked in to the feasibility of this for a Denver-area school district and the per user cost, content concerns, privacy, etc., all have made this, as of now, untenable and cost prohibitive.  Deployment models, along with licensing construct, have yet to be defined and there are not enough active deployments to model after.  I hope they can find a way to make this work as it may solve homework issues for many rural students but I also wonder what impact this may have on the funding of other E-Rate networks, etc.?

Jeff

On 5/29/18, 11:05 AM, "1st-mile-nm on behalf of Richard Lowenberg" <1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org on behalf of rl at 1st-mile.org> wrote:

    MAY 24, 2018
    Udall, Gardner Introduce Bill to Put Wi-Fi on School Buses
    
    https://www.tomudall.senate.gov/news/press-releases/udall-gardner-introduce-bill-to-put-wi-fi-on-school-buses
    
    Bipartisan bill aims to close "homework gap" that disadvantages 
    low-income and rural students without internet access at home
    
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator 
    Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced a bill to put wireless internet on 
    school buses in order to help students without broadband access at home 
    get online to study and do homework. The legislation would allow the 
    Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program to reimburse 
    schools that place wi-fi technology on school buses carrying students to 
    school or school related extracurricular activities.
    
    “Every New Mexico kid should have every opportunity to succeed – no 
    matter where they live. But nearly one-third of kids in New Mexico are 
    at risk of falling behind simply because they can’t get on the internet 
    at home,” Udall said. “It’s time to end the homework gap. Our 
    legislation will help give all students the ability to get online to 
    study and do homework assignments while they’re on the bus – a common 
    sense, 21st century solution. By boosting federal investment in 
    broadband and internet infrastructure, we’ll help close the digital 
    divide that hurts too many rural New Mexico communities, Tribes, and 
    low-income families.”
    
    “Many students in rural school districts across Colorado and the country 
    spend hours on the bus each day commuting to and from school and 
    traveling to sporting events,” said Gardner. “These students should have 
    the opportunity to use their time more effectively and installing Wi-Fi 
    on school buses will allow them to finish homework assignments and bring 
    the classroom to the road. Senator Udall and I are introducing this 
    bipartisan legislation that will allow school districts to invest in 
    their students and use federal dollars to outfit their school buses with 
    WiFi. This will help rural students and especially low-income students 
    who may not otherwise have access to mobile Internet. I’m excited about 
    this new opportunity and look forward to seeing students in Colorado 
    benefit from this initiative.”
    
    "I applaud Senator Udall and Senator Gardner for their forward thinking 
    to increase access and opportunity in order to bridge the divide that 
    exists for many children in this country," added Dr. Veronica C. Garcia, 
    superintendent of Santa Fe Public School.
    
    Udall and Gardner’s legislation was inspired by Jonah Madrid, a New 
    Mexico student athlete. During a roundtable on the homework gap at Hatch 
    Valley High School, Madrid told Udall and FCC Commissioner Jessica 
    Rosenworcel about the great lengths he would go to find wi-fi signal 
    after school was over. Madrid shared that, after traveling hours on the 
    bus to football games, he would sit in the school parking lot late at 
    night to do his homework because that was the only place he could access 
    a wireless internet signal. Madrid proposed putting wireless technology 
    on his school bus in order to let him and his teammates make use of 
    their long bus rides.
    
    Earlier this month, Udall joined Santa Fe Public Schools and Google to 
    roll out their Rolling Study Halls initiative, which has equipped six 
    Santa Fe area school buses with wi-fi technology to help students with 
    long commutes access the internet.
    
    The legislation has received widespread support from stakeholders, 
    including the School Superintendents Association, a professional 
    organization representing thousands of educational leaders through 
    America and the world, the Competitive Carriers Association, an advocacy 
    organization for rural, regional and nationwide wireless 
    telecommunications, and NTUA Wireless, a Navajo owned communications 
    company. Tribal communities in New Mexico are particularly disadvantaged 
    by the digital divide, with nearly 80 percent of Tribal members living 
    in rural New Mexico unable to access the internet at home.
    
    “When we think about efficiencies in federal policies, and common sense 
    solutions that allow education system leaders to make small changes with 
    big impacts: that is the type of policy we can support," said Daniel A. 
    Domenech, Executive Director of the School Superintendents Association. 
    "AASA applauds Mr. Gardner and Mr. Udall for their continued leadership 
    on the issue of expanding access to internet for our students, and AASA 
    is pleased to support their bill that would require the Federal 
    Communications Commission to include Wi-Fi access on school buses an 
    eligible use of the E-Rate program. AASA has long supported the E-Rate 
    program, responsible for transforming internet access in classrooms 
    across the nation over the last two decades, and this legislation is 
    another step forward in ensuring that today’s 24-hour students have 
    24-hour access.”
    
    “Making Wi-Fi services available for students on school buses eligible 
    for E-rate support is a win-win for everyone, and I thank Senators Udall 
    and Gardner for introducing this legislation," said Steven K. Berry, 
    President and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association. "Access to 
    educational resources is just one of the many benefits that robust 
    mobile broadband services provides, and this bill will be especially 
    beneficial for students in rural areas with long drive-times to and from 
    school. ‘Connected buses’ should be available to all students, no matter 
    where they live, and CCA supports this legislation moving forward.”
    
    “I am pleased to support the expanded use of E-Rate funds to include 
    wireless internet service on school buses," said Clyde Casciato, NTUA 
    Wireless General Manager. "Living and working on the Navajo nation, I 
    know firsthand the challenges facing our educators and students due to 
    lack of internet access. For many people, internet access is not 
    available at home or in their community, making it nearly impossible for 
    students to complete homework assignments and research projects. In the 
    past year, NTUAW has partnered with Kayenta Unified School District to 
    trial this service on three different school bus routes. Not only has 
    the technology worked successfully, it has been used regularly by 
    students to complete assignments. By deploying wireless internet access 
    on school buses, students are able to take advantage of what would 
    otherwise be lost hours on the school bus each day to continue their 
    education. Unfortunately, without E-Rate funds to support this 
    initiative, it will never become a reality for most schools as they 
    cannot afford to take on the expense of this additional service. Without 
    a doubt, expanding E-Rate funds to include internet access on school 
    buses will impact the quality of education received by so many students 
    on the Navajo Nation. On behalf of NTUAW, I want to thank you for 
    advocating to fund this service, and look forward to the opportunity to 
    partner with schools to get it deployed on school buses throughout the 
    Navajo Nation.”
    
    A copy of the legislation is available HERE. 
    https://www.tomudall.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Final%20Bill%20for%20Introduction.pdf
    
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
    1st-Mile Institute     505-603-5200
    Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504,
    rl at 1st-mile.org     www.1st-mile.org
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
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