In the midst of pandemic, Alabama connects 100,000—and counting—low-income students to distance learning

Only six weeks after its launch, last week marked a major milestone for the Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students Program: We have connected more than 100,000 low-income students statewide and the number grows by the thousands each day. These Alabama students now have reliable broadband service—paid for by the State of Alabama—that enables them to do homework and distance learn, with the cost of broadband removed as a barrier to learning. The ABC for Students Program is part of how Alabama is confronting the challenges of supporting our students in the midst of pandemic. In late July, as it became clear that some Alabama schools would use distance learning for some of the upcoming school year, Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) dedicated $100 million in federal CARES Act funding for this new public-private partnership program to support low-income students. The mission? Quickly deliver no-cost broadband services to low-income K-12 students across the state. The challenge? Standing up, in a matter of weeks, an enormously ambitious—and absolutely critical—program with collaboration between the State and internet service providers.

[Kenneth W. Boswell is Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs]