Detroit Schools Take a Step toward Closing the Digital Divide

The FCC created the National Broadband Plan in 2009 to outline targets for updating broadband infrastructure and access across all sectors in the country. With regard to education, one of the plan's key recommendations is to foster innovations that specifically enable wireless connectivity for mobile devices, so that students can more easily access the Internet at home or in school. This recommendation is based on research showing that online learning can substantially boost students’ achievement in reading and math, as well as motivate students toward better overall school performance.

Five years into the plan’s implementation, numerous innovative educational technologies are being tested in classrooms and homes across the country. Educational wireless provider Kajeet has developed a technology called SmartSpot, which enables students to connect to fast 4G LTE networks using any Wi-Fi-enabled device. Affordable for schools and families, the technology is designed to be safe for children who go online for their studies.

A total of 450 SmartSpot devices have been deployed to eight schools in Detroit, Michigan, for the current school year. These schools provide a stark example of the digital divide in America: roughly 70 percent of these students have no Internet access at home. This greatly limits how teachers can integrate valuable online resources into coursework. SmartSpot will remove this restriction, thereby providing teachers with added flexibility and motivating students toward success in school.