Wi-Fi on wheels: Google helps students get online, on the go

As more class assignments and homework migrate online, long bus rides have generally counted as lost time in preparing for the next school day. But Google said it hopes to help expand the use of Wi-Fi on school buses in rural areas around the country.

Google has funded 28 Wi-Fi-equipped school buses in South Carolina's rural Berkeley County. Google also has given the school district 1,700 Chromebooks, the stripped-down laptops on which many schoolchildren now do their class and homework. Google is also looking for ways to make the high-tech buses useful outside of school hours, working with the school district and community on places the buses can go once the school day is done to bring connectivity elsewhere, such as a community center or fellowship hall.