[Tech-l] broadband support for students

[Thor Sage]

Good evening!
We've seen quite a bit of discussion about how to address the lack of residential broadband for some student households.  I would commend those of you trying to fight that battle and working through backorders and slow delivery times on various types of hotspot services.  It is interesting to note that the FCC has lifted the moratorium on the use of discounted bandwidth for public WiFi access during COVID-19 related closures (https://www.fcc.gov/document/community-use-e-rate-supported-wi-fi-permitted-during-closures?utm_campaign=Newsletters&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email).
Given this, along with other discussions I've heard about the use of outdoor WiFi during these closures, I have reached out to Cisco/Meraki to inquire about special discounts on outdoor APs that might be used for parking lot coverage.  I'm told that many schools that have outdoor WiFi are being visited by students that don't have adequate service at home.  What if we were able to outfit parking lots in every district with this sort of service?
Right now, I believe I could get Meraki MR74 access points with dual-band omni antennas and  1yr licensing for $545 each.  MVECA would assist with installation and configuration at no cost, but we'd need your help with network drops to your outside locations and PoE.  If you needed a PoE injector, there would be an additional cost.  See the attached MR74 datasheet.
I know it's not much and I wish I could provide a free solution, but having public WiFi right now that would be accessible from a car might be a big deal in some communities and a win for your districts and underserved students.
Think about it and let me know if you're interested by emailing me directly at sage at mveca.org<mailto:sage at mveca.org>.
Thanks,
Thor

Thor Sage
Executive Director
Miami Valley Educational Computer Association
937-767-1468  x3101
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Not-for-profit Technology Services for Education and Local Governments



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