DIGITAL WISH AND MOBILE BEACON PARTNER TO GIVE $10/MONTH DATA PLANS AND FREE 4G MODEMS TO EDUCATORS

May 2013 (Manchester Center, VT) - Digital Wish has teamed up to bring Mobile Beacon’s 4G mobile broadband donation program to educators on DigitalWish.org. Through Mobile Beacon’s program, qualified public schools, 501(c)3 nonprofit schools, and libraries will receive up to 11 donated 4G devices when they sign up for a 1-year unlimited 4G data plan for $10 per month per device. Additionally, Mobile Beacon is offering schools in certain disaster recover states (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island) up to 26 donated devices to help them rebuild following the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

“Connectivity is core requirement as student learning migrates online. We are so excited to be able to offer this program to schools for both teacher and student connectivity. Mobile Beacon is the ideal partner to help us usher in the new era of mobile learning that extends well beyond the walls of the classroom,” said Heather Chirtea, Executive Director of Digital Wish.

Mobile Beacon is a leading provider of affordable mobile Internet service exclusively for educational and nonprofit organizations.  The program helps schools provide 24/7 mobile connectivity for teachers and staff, and offers a method to provide out-of-school Internet access to underprivileged students at an affordable rate.

“Out-of-school Internet access is arguably as important to the overall quality of the learning experience as in-school access,” said Katherine Messier, Managing Director for Mobile Beacon. “This program is designed to give schools maximum flexibility to decide how they can best make use our mobile broadband service. The donated devices can be used by teachers, administrators, staff, or students to provide access both in and out of school.”

Teachers and school staff can choose any combination of 4G devices, including a Wi-Fi modem, USB modem, and mobile hotspot. Mobile Beacon offers assistance determining the best mix of devices based on the school’s planned use. Examples of ways educators can benefit from Mobile Beacon’s 4G service include:

• Using mobile devices to support BYOD and 1:1 learning initiatives.
• Providing out-of-school access to students who do not have Internet access at home.
• Supplementing a school or district’s existing Internet service to meet the broadband demands of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
• Creating a low cost, back-up Internet source in case a school’s primary Internet service goes down.
• Keeping teachers, staff, and students connected during field trips, sporting events, and other off-campus activities.

Interested public schools, 501(c)(3) nonprofit schools, and libraries should visit DigitalWish.org and select the “Mobile Broadband” offering right from the home page and “Shop” areas. If they’re not yet a Digital Wish member, schools can sign up and register their organization for free. They will then be able to request donations.

Additional 4G devices beyond what is included in Mobile Beacon’s donation programs are available at standard rates. There is no limit on the number of devices that can be requested by qualified nonprofit and educational organizations.

About Digital Wish
At www.digitalwish.org, teachers make technology wishes, and donors make those wishes come true with contributions, bringing technology to needy classrooms in all 50 states. Since August 2009, Digital Wish has granted over 30,500 classroom technology wishes through its online network of over 62,000 teachers, and delivered over $13 million in technology products to American classrooms directly impacting over 500,000 students.
Contact: Amanda Stevens, 802-375-6721 [email protected]
 
About Mobile Beacon
Mobile Beacon provides fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband services exclusively to education and nonprofit organizations across the United States. Mobile Beacon was created by a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has more than 20 years experience serving the educational community and is one of the largest national educational broadband service (EBS) providers in the country. Through an agreement with Clearwire, Mobile Beacon provides high-speed data services and mobile Internet access to educational and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.mobilebeacon.org.
Contact: Katherine Messier, (401) 934-0500