Graham County Schools and T-Mobile to connect 300 enrolled students for FREE

ROBBINSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA— JANUARY 25, 2022— Today, Angie Knight, Superintendent and Myra Waldroup, CTO announced a collaboration with T-Mobile to deliver FREE wireless hotspots and FREE high-speed data to 300 students across Robbinsville Elementary, Middle and High schools as part of Project 10Million.

Even before the pandemic, more than 9 million of America’s 56 million school-age kids did not have access to reliable internet and could not complete after-school assignments. This critical homework gap has tremendous short- and long-term impacts: lower test scores, lower grades and limited opportunities after graduation. Now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented 50 million students across the country are learning remotely including Graham County Schools. Those without reliable internet connectivity will face an even bigger schoolwork gap as they are unable to participate in any type of online classroom learning.

Every child deserves access to opportunity, so Project 10Million will provide Graham County Schools a FREE wireless hotspot and FREE high-speed data to give to eligible student households – a value of about $500 a year per household.

Students will receive UNLIMITED data to ensure all students have enough data to complete their schooling at no cost to them.

For more information about Project 10Million, go to www.t-mobile.com/p10m.

FAQs:

What is Project 10Million?

▪ Project 10Million is T-Mobile’s $10.7B initiative aimed at delivering internet connectivity to

millions of underserved student households at no cost to them. Partnering with school districts

across the country, the program offers free wireless hotspots and free high-speed data – and

access to at-cost laptops and tablets that districts can offer to eligible students.

▪ And as the COVID-19 pandemic makes remote learning the new norm for millions of students across

the U.S., T-Mobile enhanced Project 10Million to offer more low-cost data options, including

unlimited, for school districts to pass on to student households at no cost to them.

What do participating students get?

▪Students can get free hotspot devices and unlimited free high-speed data. Additionally, their schools will have access to at-cost laptops and tablets to distribute to

students.

Who is eligible for Project 10Million?

Eligibility for free program is based on school or school district students enrolled in the National School Lunch

Program and is for students grades K-12.

How do I obtain/check out a device for my child?

You will need to contact your child's teacher to obtain a "Wireless Hotspot Checkout Agreement" or you can download it at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NfaSyuyXjMbByQUTJwY7-tUWuYqpeXMS/view?usp=sharing

The student will bring the completed form back to their school Media Center/Library to check out a device.

How are you able to ensure service will work for students where they are located?

▪ The expanded reach and capacity of T-Mobile’s nationwide network plays a crucial role in TMobile’s

promise to make reliable, dependable connectivity truly accessible to students, including

those in underserved areas such as rural America where 1.7 million households are lacking highspeed

home internet service today.

Is the program only available to T-Mobile customers?

▪ No. The program is open to every eligible student.

What type of hotspot devices will students receive?

▪ School districts allocate the Franklin Wireless T9 to students.

If a parent or student has a problem with their hotspot or service, who do they contact?

▪ Students/parents should contact Graham County Schools' Tech Department at 828-479-9820 for assistance. Or call the Support # listed on the devise.

How much data do students get?

▪ Students can get free hotspot devices and unlimited free high-speed data.

Additionally, their schools will have access to at-cost laptops and tablets to distribute to

students.

Do students need to re-enroll each year to get their new free unlimited data?

▪ No, students don’t need to do a thing. Their data will automatically reset on the annual anniversary of the day their school district received and activated the hotspot device, for the next five years.

Does service include free calling and texting?

▪ Voice and text are not included with hotspot service. Students will only receive the automated messages from T-Mobile (related to their usage) and they can also access those in the hotspot web admin portal at http://mobile.hotspot.

Is HD video included?

▪ No, SD video is included in the free data plan.

Can parents limit the content their child is able to access?

▪ Yes, a content filter (Titan HQ) is included with the hotspot device

Do Project 10Million hotspots work on T-Mobile’s 5G network?

▪ Project 10Million student hotpots currently use T-Mobile’s expanded LTE network, bringing highspeed

internet access to thousands of rural, suburban and urban school districts across the

country. As access to 5G equipment expands, future Project 10Million recipients will benefit from TMobile’s

expanded 5G over time with faster speeds and even broader coverage.