LAUSD announces new initiative to combat digital divide

Los Angeles Unified is aiming to provide access to reliable internet for all families. In its latest effort toward closing the digital divide, the district announced a plan for providers to offer broadband service free of cost to families. LAUSD is working with Charter Communications and AT&T on the $50 million deal.

“In an age when teaching and learning is increasingly digital, access to reliable high-speed internet is simply a human right,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in an AT&T news release. “We have a responsibility as educators to ensure every student has the tools needed to access every learning opportunity available, and that includes reliable internet access, around the clock, on- and off-campus.”

According to results from a 2021 survey released by the University of Southern California and the California Emerging Technology Fund, 19% of Los Angeles County has either no connection or relies on smartphones. After classes went online at the start of the pandemic in 2020, LAUSD gave out hot spots to students, but bandwidth was limited. Providers also offered some discounts.