Massachusetts and Verizon enable distance learning for 4.7M more students

BOSTON – Securing access to the Internet for every student who does not have it for distance learning has been the focus of state departments of education, school districts and individual schools across the country, since the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of 124,000 public and private U.S. schools in March.

As part of a nationwide initiative to provide turnkey connectivity, devices and solutions that distance learning students need this fall, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has partnered with Verizon to provide up to 4.7 million students in Massachusetts and seven neighboring states plus the District of Columbia with a simple and quick way to access the distance learning technologies students need this fall.

Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) public school students in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and the District of Columbia will benefit from Verizon’s sponsor-state agreement to provide schools in Massachusetts and the other states with discounted service plans for unlimited 4G LTE Internet access, mobile device management (MDM) and other security solutions required for student use.

Verizon’s sponsor-state distance learning partnership with the Massachusetts DESE is the latest in a series of Independent School District (ISD), stand-alone and sponsor-state agreements that now total 38 states and the District of Columbia -- including Los Angeles Unified School District and the California State Department of Education, Georgia Department of Education, South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and most recently the Texas Education Authority -- that aim to provide every student in the U.S. with access to a reliable Internet connection, device and other education solutions they need, whether in a full-time classroom environment, distance learning from home or a combination thereof.

“From the very early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have partnered with independent school districts like Los Angeles Unified and with sponsor states like Georgia and now Massachusetts to enable as many students as possible to benefit from these turnkey agreements,” said Andrés Irlando, senior vice president and president, Public Sector and Verizon Connect at Verizon. “With the start of the school year just around the corner for districts across the country, schools now have a fast-track with Verizon to quickly and easily lock in distance learning technology solutions for their students.”

Eligible schools will be required to sign an authorized customer agreement in order to purchase from the Massachusetts Sponsor State Distance Learning Initiative agreement. Schools and school districts interested in learning more can visit the Verizon Distance Learning Information site or call 800-317-3841.

¹https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_203.20.asp