Atlanta Public Schools (APS) announced on Twitter last Thursday that the district will be providing no-cost Wi-Fi hotspots to APS families that do not have internet.
The post noted that this was an attempt to close the digital divide, a separation between households that have immediate internet access and those that do not. Registration for the hotspot takes place in the form of a survey, which was located in the post.
“In an effort to close the digital divide, APS will provide no-cost WiFi hotspots to APS families that do not have the internet at home. Click the link to learn more about the APS Digital Bridge Program and register to receive a hotspot: https://t.co/sUCtXds7Ca“
The registration survey notes that every APS student will be receiving a laptop (or iPad) for the 2021-2022 school year. So it appears that the district is taking into consideration that some students may not have immediate internet access at home during the school year.
The survey also notes that “only one hotspot will be distributed per household.” So parents do not have to do the survey for each child that they may have in the school district.
The digital divide was a problem for many Georgia school districts during the pandemic. Since it caused some students to have to do school work from different locations in search of internet access. Some of those locations would include the parking lots of restaurants, libraries, or anywhere else students could gain access to free Wi-Fi.
The survey should be available through July 16th, as was shown by the graphic on the post.
