To address the digital divide and support learning outside the classroom in New York, the 12 Regional Information Centers (RICs) and 37 BOCES worked collaboratively with a vendor partner to create the cost-efficient Educational Hotspot Program for 235 districts and BOCES statewide.

Through the Educational Hotspot Program 2,319 Kajeet devices were ordered for Western New York Regional information Center (WNYRIC) districts alone. Around 18,000 devices were ordered across the state.

“When the COVID-19 crisis hit, districts needed to find a way to connect with kids at home. That crisis really shone a light on the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots,’” Kenneth Koch, WNYRIC WAN/VoIP technical services supervisor, said. “We have been offering the Kajeet solutions for a few years now as hotspots and Wi-Fi on buses. This special program provides districts with a solution to address this challenge of student access for one year at half the regular cost.”

WNYRIC already had 200 devices deployed in districts via the Kajeet service before COVID-19. Kajeet is fully Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliant, provides flexible coverage through multiple networks and offers a central management tool and tech support.

“WNYRIC supports 20 districts in our hotspot service and they love the service. We get great feedback about the included content filtering which is flexible and adaptable,” Koch said.  

The 2,300 devices ordered through the Educational Hotspot Program were deployed in districts for the start of the 2020-2021 school year to ensure students have access to online learning, no matter what setting they are in.

“We are always putting districts’ best interest first, every time,” Koch added.  

For questions about the hotspot service, contact Koch at kkoch@e1b.org.