BLECKLEY COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia is deploying over 400 Wi-Fi Rangers to school districts across the state.
A ranger is a mobile router that provides a wireless network for internet connection, according to WiFiranger.com. They can connect to buses and turn them into Wi-Fi hotspots, so students can access the internet.
Governor Brian Kemp announced that a donation from AT&T to the Georgia Department of Education, Foundation for Public education will be used to send 448 rangers to 36 school districts.
Among the school districts receiving the Wi-Fi Rangers include Baldwin, Bleckley, Dooly, Laurens, Washington, and Wilcox counties.
A release from the governor’s office says the devices will fill the gap for thousands of students in rural areas and triple the number of Wi-Fi buses in Georgia.
"AT&T is doing our state a great service, helping us take a step forward to address the lack of available broadband connectivity for Georgia students," Kemp said in the release.
All 36 school districts chosen to receive the rangers are located in rural parts of Georgia. The release says that selection was based on poverty level of the school population, the student-to-device ratio in a school’s existing technology inventory, and the school’s status on support and improvement lists.
“This issue has come into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic as so many rural students struggle to continue remote learning without internet access. We thank AT&T for recognizing that the children affected by this lack of connectivity are the young people who represent our future. Their generosity will leave a lasting legacy," Kemp said.
Two free months of service for each device comes with AT&T’s donation. To extend the impact of the initiative, the governor’s office says they applied additional grant funding to extend the service of each device to three extra months.
“More than ever before, connecting people with resources needed to maintain a sense of normalcy is critical, and we are committed to supporting Georgia’s students, families, and teachers," Venessa Harrison, President of AT&T Georgia, said.
The release says school systems can choose the location for the Wi-Fi Ranger bus networks and send them to areas where people can not connect to internet at home.
Students and their families will be given connection information directly, and kids will be able to access the Wi-Fi by parking nearby or walking to the Wi-Fi Ranger bus location.
“Parents and students will be directed to follow the state guidelines for social distancing, but they will be able to access the internet signal within a certain distance of the bus,” the release says.
Each bus has a range for connection of up to 300 feet, close to same length as a football field.
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