Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued the following statement yesterday (March 16, 2020), calling on telecommunications companies to ensure free Internet and public Wi-Fi to area K-12 students who do not currently have access:

“While we are practicing social distancing, digital connectivity has become ever more important. Today, I am calling on our telecommunications partners at AT&T, CenturyLink, Cox Communications, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon to assist us in providing free access to the Internet during the emergency declaration for K-12 students who do not currently have access,” said Mayor Cantrell. “As teachers and students are stepping up to the challenge, continuing their education in the face of an international crisis, I am asking our telecommunications companies to do the same – to support our children and our future leaders with access to the Internet during this critical time.”

Recognizing the importance of staying connected during the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asked the nation’s broadband and wireless providers to take the ‘Keep Americans Connected Pledge.’ Connectivity is critical in these times of social distancing to ensure everyone has access to critical information. The FCC Pledge asks companies over the next 60 days to:

• not terminate service because of a customer’s inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;

• waive any late fees incurred because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and

• open the company’s Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.

Mayor Cantrell commended these efforts to keep Americans connected throughout the challenges of the pandemic. That being said, one of the greatest challenges presented to us today is continuing the education of our K-12 students through distance learning. In New Orleans, 30 percent of public school children and 10 percent of parochial school children do not have access to the Internet. This means that tens of thousands of students will not be able to properly participate in educational opportunities for a month if not longer. This gap in connectivity is unacceptable for our children and our City. The Mayor commends our telecommunications partners’ pledge to keep us connected, and calls on these partners to take bold and immediate action to connect our students and keep our City moving forward.