T-Mobile's big change to Project 10Million will keep at-risk students online longer
T-Mobile's Project 10Million was created to bring "reliable and affordable" internet service to eligible student households. Since the program started in 2020, more than six million students have been "hooked up" by Project 10million. But there is a way to go before T-Mobile reaches its goal of connecting 10 million students. Including work in the classroom and homework, the use of technology in education has jumped 226% over the last five years making it important that students learn how to use this technology.
More data is required as students are tasked with digital assignments that they need to research. In addition, additional data is needed for the video streaming, video lessons, and video calls that students need to have access to via their computers and tablets to complete their studies. The FCC says that as many as 17 million school-age children across the U.S. are still without reliable internet access. To make things better, T-Mobile announced today that it is improving its Project 10Million by increasing the data allowance for many students.
In addition, T-Mobile is teaming up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and artist and activist Common to help more students obtain the internet access they need to be successful in school. The changes will take place starting on Thursday, September 26th as qualifying kindergarten through 12th-grade student families who sign up for Project 10Million with T-Mobile will now receive 200GB of data per year for five years, double the previous 100GB allotment.
"We launched our groundbreaking Project 10Million program back in 2020 with a simple goal - to provide free or highly subsidized home Internet to up to 10Million students at home, so they won't fall behind in school," said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. "And today, after providing more than 6 million students with the critical Internet access they need to succeed, we're making the program even better than ever, with a set of program enhancements, to help our largest and most important community program to make an even bigger impact."-Mike Sievert, CEO, T-Mobile
Current Project 10Million members will also receive additional data over the remainder of their five years. Student families that hit their data limit will be able to buy a new highly discounted 10GB data pass for $10. Starting next month, school districts participating in Project 10Million with the greatest needs will have a chance to receive more data, as much as 200GB.
T-Mobile is now giving at-risk students 200GB of data for five years, twice the previous amount. | Image credit-T-Mobile
T-Mobile announced Project 10Million in 2019 and it launched a year later giving 10 million at-risk students a free hotspot, free data plans, and access to laptops and tablets at cost. T-Mobile has continued to improve Project 10Million to include a wide variety of of options for schools and families. To date, T-Mobile has provided $6.9 billion in products and services while connecting more than 6 million students through the program.
Additional Project 10Million back-to-school activations have been held or will soon take place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Tacoma, Washington; Kansas City, Missouri; and Oklahoma City. T-Mobile last year produced a video to announce that it was halfway to its goal of connecting 10 million at-risk students. We've embedded it in this article.
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