North Texas' Internet For All Coalition is launching a campaign to ensure that all students in Dallas County have a reliable internet connection.
The coalition is made up of more than 40 community leaders including chief technology officers, school districts in Tarrant, Dallas and Denton counties, the Dallas Regional Chamber, the City of Dallas, the Dallas Innovation Alliance and the Federal Reserve Bank, among dozens of others.
Through the "Get Connected' initiative, Dallas County families without internet access will be able to call a hotline, and a representative from their school district will contact them to arrange the best solution available.
Families can call the "Internet For All" hotline at 972-925-6000 or text ‘Connect’ to 972-925-6000 and a representative will contact them within seven days.
“Our estimates show at least 75,000 families across Dallas County lack reliable, broadband internet access right now, and that makes virtual learning difficult if not impossible,” Dottie Smith, president of Dallas nonprofit The Commit Partnership and co-chair of the Internet For All coalition, said. “Our hope with the 'Get Connected' campaign is to reach every single one of those households and provide a reliable internet solution as quickly as possible.”
The campaign is sponsored by Texas Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), and it will involve the distribution of mobile hotspots to connect households to the internet.
Families who have chosen participate in face-to-face instruction are still encouraged to take advantage of the "Get Connected" campaign in case schools go back to virtual learning entirely, Dallas ISD said.
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To learn more about the "Internet For All Coalition" and the "Get Connected" campaign, visit www.internetfordallas.org. The site will be fully live on Tuesday.
According to the website, the Internet for All Coalition includes The Dallas Innovation Alliance, Dallas Regional Chamber, City of Dallas, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, The Commit Partnership, The Meadows Foundation, The Concilio Group, Commissioner Daniel, Edwin Robinson—Community Leader, Margo McClinton Stoglin—Concord Church, Deputy City Manager—Grand Prairie, Steve Dye; Kenshel Penny—Chief Information Officer for the city of Grand Prairie, Councilmember Resendez and Council Liaison Penny Anderly, Ria Narsiah—Community Volunteer, Vickery Meadow, Bachman Lake Together, Texas 2036, Educate Texas, Dallas College (formerly DCCCD), Arlington ISD, Dallas ISD, Denton ISD, DeSoto ISD, Garland ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Irving ISD, Lancaster ISD, Plano ISD, Richardson ISD, and Region 10.
