Kajeet®, a leading provider of wireless connectivity solutions for education, today celebrates the resounding endorsement from school districts nationwide for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program expansion to include Wi-Fi hotspots for off-campus use. This support was powerfully highlighted during a recent Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition webinar (recording available here), where education leaders underscored the transformative impact of the program on student access to digital learning resources.
The SHLB webinar, which addressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s initiative to enact a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the FCC’s June 2024 hotspot order, featured persuasive testimony from school district representatives.
Jill Hobson of Gainesville City Schools recounted poignant experiences, stating, “We had students completing homework in McDonald’s parking lots, as it was their only means of accessing the internet.” She further illustrated the program’s impact with a notable example: “One student, previously struggling academically, achieved grades of A’s and B’s after receiving a hotspot, at last able to stay on pace with her peers.” These narratives underscore a widely shared conviction among districts nationwide: dependable internet access has become an essential requirement for education, rather than a mere convenience.
Kajeet has long championed equitable access to education through its innovative connectivity solutions, partnering with schools to deploy secure, filtered Wi-Fi hotspots that meet E-Rate requirements. “We’ve seen firsthand how access to safe internet connectivity empowers students, especially in underserved communities,” said Ben Weintraub, CEO at Kajeet. “The overwhelming support from school districts during the SHLB webinar reinforces what we already know: this program is a lifeline for millions of students and families.”
Critics argue that student connectivity through school-provided hotspots could lead to unrestricted access to platforms like TikTok, but the data tells a different story. In 2024 alone, Kajeet’s advanced filtering technology blocked over 2.7 billion attempts to access TikTok on E-Rate-funded devices, reinforcing the effectiveness of these safeguards. According to Weintraub, "Digital equity shouldn’t come at the cost of student safety—Kajeet’s data-driven approach proves that both can go hand in hand."
Despite this groundswell of support, the FCC’s Wi-Fi hotspot initiative faces uncertainty as Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Ted Cruz lead efforts to overturn the program via the CRA. It was also noted in the webinar recording that the program’s reversal would disproportionately harm rural and low-income students. “School districts are telling us loud and clear: E-Rate hotspots are working,” Weintraub said. Kajeet stands in solidarity with these voices, urging policymakers to preserve a program that has proven its value in closing the homework gap.
As a trusted partner to hundreds of school districts, Kajeet remains committed to supporting educational equity through technology. “We call on Senators to listen to the educators and students who rely on this program,” Weintraub added. “Their success stories are the true measure of E-Rate’s impact.”
For more information about Kajeet’s E-Rate solutions or to schedule an interview, please contact ljennings@kajeet.com.
To find and write to your representatives about this important issue, please visit Democracy.io
About Kajeet
Kajeet provides optimized IoT connectivity, software and hardware solutions that deliver safe, reliable, and controlled internet connectivity to nearly 3,000 businesses, schools and districts, state and local governments, and IoT solution providers. Kajeet is the only managed IoT connectivity services provider in the industry to offer a scalable IoT management platform, Sentinel®, that includes complete visibility into real-time data usage, policy control management, custom content filters for added security and multi-network flexibility. To learn more, visit kajeet.com.