Sprint's online White House ConnectED application and information portal ensures students and teachers will receive new technological devices when the initiative launches Sept. 1, the mobile carrier announced Friday.
According to a press release, the gadgets allow students to learn away from the classroom. Certain educational institutions and school districts can sign up to receive up to four years of Sprint's high-speed wireless broadband connectivity to do so. The partnership provides a digital learning curriculum and other resources to at least 50,000 students throughout the United States, These include extended and interactive digital instruction. There are also course tools in math, science, the arts, and foreign languages. Sprint will sell the mobile broadband devices to schools. Each product can hold 3GB of the company's wireless data service a month.
Sprint's CEO said the new partnership gives students an opportunity to use technology they might not normally have the opportunity to access.
"With the new school year, Sprint will take a major first step in our four-year commitment to this dynamic White House initiative," Dan Hesse said in a statement. "Helping to close the digital divide is an issue of great importance to Sprint, and we believe schools and students will benefit from using our new wireless network for mobile learning opportunities beyond the classroom."
Sprint's chairman said the company looks forward to beginning the new collaboration. The board member is also founder and CEO of the company's sister telecommunications company, SoftBank.
"We are incredibly proud to be part of the team that is bringing innovative technology solutions to the U.S. education sector. ConnectED's commitment to bringing high-speed Internet to America's students is a clear fit with SoftBank's mission to help people around the world improve their lives through increased access to information," Masayoshi Son said in a statement. "We are passionate about delivering next-generation wireless Internet to U.S. consumers, and this partnership demonstrates our commitment to making this happen for all."
Sprint and SoftBank merged July 10, 2013, according to a press release.
