School closures due to COVID-19 required schools to quickly shift instruction from the classroom to the home. Many students were unable to receive online instruction due to the lack of internet service at home. In some cases, students did not have access to the internet; in other cases, it may not have been affordable.
A portion of the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) was allocated for mobile hotspots or monthly internet service. The ORS worked with the South Carolina Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and private school associations to procure mobile hotspots and monthly internet service through December 31, 2020 for distribution to a minimum of 100,000 households.
On December 31, 2020, the ORS transferred administration of the Online Learning Initiative to the South Carolina Department of Education.
Mobile Hotspot Distribution
Schools – public and private K-12 schools, public and private colleges, universities, and technical colleges – distributed the mobile hotspots to eligible households.
Monthly Reporting
Schools were required to complete a Monthly Reporting Spreadsheet to track distributed devices and devices no longer in use or reassigned.
Monthly Internet Service
Depending on the location, wired internet service was provided, and the ORS facilitated contracts with multiple wired providers (PDF) offering competitive pricing.