The public-private partnership will bring fiber internet access to roughly 1,000 households this school year for a seamless and safe online learning experience, with the potential for greater expansion.
HIGH POINT, N.C. (Oct. 5, 2023) – Lumos is pleased to announce its selection as the Technology & Data Institute’s (TDI) broadband partner for the “Borderless Classroom” Pilot in Guilford County Schools, making Lumos the in-home high-speed internet provider for students across the county. TDI and Lumos are already working to bring this critical digital infrastructure to select houses.
“Lumos is committed to changing lives and contributing toward a more equitable future through reliable, lightning-fast fiber optic internet,” said Lumos CEO Brian Stading. “We are empowering the possibilities of tomorrow where we envision every student having equal opportunities to learn in our ever-evolving digital world.”
In June 2023, TDI sought proposals for a pilot program to bring broadband service with minimum speeds of 100 Mbps x 20 Mbps and educational network access to students in several pilot schools by the fall of 2023. The program will initially cover three schools in High Point, N.C., through the end of the 2026 school year but has the potential to one day reach an additional 30,000 students without access to an adequate and affordable in-home broadband network.
Lumos’ proposal of its 500 Mbps x 500 Mbps service, Total Home Wi-Fi and dual SSID support for the school system’s educational network greatly exceeded the speed requirements. After a competitive process, TDI awarded Lumos the opportunity to provide the pilot services to students. The program secured funding through two grants, totaling approximately $3.5 million, and will provide high-speed internet service to certain student households for three school years.
The wireless network will be pre-configured on Guilford County Schools (GCS) student devices, allowing students to connect to the GCS network from their homes and gain access to vital educational resources. It is important for parents to know that this internet service will be web-filtered, like at all GCS schools, for safe student research and educational use when using a GCS-issued device.
“In the digital age, it is critically important that all K-12 students have access to the internet to participate in online learning. I was proud to secure federal funding for the Technology Data Institute, and I’m pleased to see Lumos partner with TDI to launch this transformative program, which will initially deliver high-speed internet to 1,000 households in High Point,” said Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06). “This program will bridge the digital education divide, improve equitable outcomes in education for low-income homes, and set the standard for the future of broadband initiatives.”
Lumos will launch the educational network portion of the offering thanks to their deployment of Calix SmartTown™, a managed service on the Calix broadband platform that easily serves entities like schools, municipalities and more. By offering differentiated services and hardware, Lumos can best serve its customers’ needs and enable students to stay connected.
“Lumos has an inspiring vision to be the kind of broadband provider that’s known for the value they deliver to their communities,” said Mark Dressler, Chief Revenue Officer at Calix. “We are proud to support Lumos teams with a broadband platform that enables them to differentiate, win new markets, and grow their subscriber base by deploying a range of managed services that delight their customers and create world-class communities.”
About Lumos: Lumos provides 100% Fiber Optic Internet, whole-Home Wi-Fi, voice and streaming services, to more than 250,000 homes and businesses across North Carolina, Virginia and, recently announced, South Carolina footprint. We believe that the possibilities of tomorrow cannot be built on the infrastructure of yesterday. That’s why we’re building a 100% Fiber Optic network from the ground up for families, small businesses and communities, backed by local, expert customer service. An Internet built for that most hopeful of all things – the future. Because whatever the future holds, we make it faster. Learn more at www.LumosFiber.com.
LinkedIn: @LumosFiber
Twitter: @lumosfiber
About The Technology and Digital Institute (TDI): The Technology and Digital Institute is committed to transforming the Piedmont Triad into a smart and connected region where communities and innovation will flourish through shared technology and data. TDI is a regional public service institute leading a collaborative effort to ensure that everyone — scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, communities, K-12 students in underserved areas — has the digital infrastructure needed to thrive. TDI is a consortium of public service organizations including Guilford County Schools, the City of Greensboro, the City of High Point, Guilford County, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, UNC Greensboro, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, and Business High Point. Learn more at https://nctdi.org.
About Calix (NYSE:CALX, news, filings): Broadband service providers of all sizes leverage the Calix platform and teams to simplify their business and excite their subscribers to grow the value of their business and for their communities for generations. The democratizing power of the platform and portfolio of managed services enables them to operate efficiently, acquire subscribers, and deliver exceptional experiences. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our customers and their communities.
Media Contact:
Emily Brice
919-610-3319
ebrice@fwv-us.com
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