T-Mobile has announced the launch of Project 10Million, a $10.7 billion initiative to help deliver internet connectivity to underserved children.

Since the pandemic swept the globe, children across the country have been relying on remote schooling to keep up with their classes. Unfortunately, poor internet access is a major impediment to children being able to safely learn at home. Even before the pandemic, a ‘homework gap’ impacted some 9 million children, where poor internet access made it difficult or impossible to complete after-school assignments.

Now that the ‘homework gap’ is turning into a full-fledged ‘schoolwork gap,’ T-Mobile is expanding Project 10Million. Schools districts can apply the value of the program to data plans, including a 100GB per month plan, or one that is fully unlimited. The Initiative includes free wireless hotspots and at-cost tablets and laptops.

“Education is the great leveler, but without internet access, kids will be left behind. T-Mobile has a big goal – to deliver connectivity to every child who needs it across the U.S. Starting now with our historic Project 10Million commitment, we’re going to help open A LOT of doors to opportunity that might have previously been closed,” said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. “This issue is even more critical as the COVID-19 pandemic has completely shifted learning for many from the classroom to online. Big issues need big solutions, and that’s exactly why we’re not just launching but significantly enhancing Project 10Million and giving flexibility to educators so they can best address the unique needs of their students with plans that offer more data. As the supercharged Un-carrier, we now have the resources and network capacity to deliver reliable connectivity to students across the U.S. — and to tackle the critical homework gap and the schoolwork gap head-on!”