- Apple will spend $100 million on laptop computers and tablets to be donated to students in poor school districts
- AT&T will spend $100 million to provide Internet access to underfunded schools
- Sprint will spend $100 million to provide free Internet access to disadvantaged students for four years
- Verizon will contribute $100 million in cash to the programme
- Microsoft will provide operating system software at deeply discounted prices
Where to Go from Here
On the face of it, the programme appears to be very similar to programmes already established in several European countries. However, the larger question is where to go from here… Over the last few decades, the United States has consistently performed poorly in terms of globally accepted educational standards. It's hard to believe that the failure of the American education system has anything to do with a lack of broadband Internet access among poor students. The Internet is indeed a great teaching tool and one that should be available to as many students as possible. Nevertheless, computer networking and high-speed communications can never take the place of a solid curriculum, performance standards and personal responsibility among parents and their children. No matter how much money the government spends on high-speed Internet access for poor students, there are deeper problems for some families that require much deeper solutions. For now, Mr Obama has the power of the executive pen to direct federal agencies in how to spend their allotted funding however, when that funding dries up, will anything have really changed? For the sake of America's parents and schoolchildren, we certainly hope so. Sources:ZD Net – http://www.zdnet.com/obama-hooks-up-new-school-broadband-plan-7000025964/
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