University Partnership Expands Internet Access For Students

Cal State Fullerton has partnered with Excess Telecom to advertise the Affordable Connectivity program, which offers students enrolled in government-supported packages with a pill that doubles as an Internet hotspot.

Rommel Hidalgo, affiliate vp for the Division of Information and Technology, stated the Center for Equitable Digital Access has arrange a station for Excess Telecom on the primary ground of the Pollak Library. Excess Telecom is an Internet Service Provider licensed by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

David Ramos, an occasion supervisor for Excess Telecom, stated this system started in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to offer internet access to these in want.

“As everything moved online, we started to see that a lot of students or people didn’t have access to the Internet at home,” Ramos stated. “This program was created to essentially bridge that digital divide and provide Internet access to those who need it to do school work, or their job or even in medicine.”

CSUF was launched to Excess Telecom in a gathering held in October concerning the variety of students on campus receiving federal Pell Grants, making them eligible for this free Internet program, Hidalgo stated.

“We have a lot of students who have Pell Grants, we had to figure out the best way to communicate and market it to them,” Hidalgo stated. “I think we have anywhere from 10,000 to 16,000 students who have received the federal Pell Grant.”

Ivy Mejia, a third-year psychology main at CSUF, heard about this system by an e-mail from the college. She stated she has gradual internet at dwelling and sees this program as an enormous profit.

“Everything today is digital and online and other people may think well, we didn’t have internet access in those days. But because we live in a contemporary or modern world where I feel it is necessary because some classes are online on Canvas,” said Mejia.

Hidalgo said promoting the program makes sense since the campus has the Center for Equitable Digital Access, which already reaches out to students and lets them know what technologies are available.

Ramos said that to receive the hotspot-enabled tablet, students must provide documented proof that they received the Pell Grant or one of the other 20 government assistance programs and pay an $11 tax fee on the device, which they get to keep.

The 20 federal or state programs include Cal Grants, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKS and more. The full list is available on the CSUF website.

Ramos said that if there are people who do not have time to go to the station, there will be a QR code to scan to enroll themselves in the program and have their tablet shipped after approval.

The tablet comes with 25 gigabytes of internet data per month and must be used at least once a month to remain in service. At the end of the year, users must re-certify that they receive government assistance in order to continue receiving Internet access.

Lauren Martinez, a first-year human services major, said this Internet program can help her complete assignments and do schoolwork on the go.

“I live on campus, so sometimes the Wi-Fi just doesn’t work. So it will help a lot when I hand in assignments,” Martinez stated.

Hidalgo stated that relying on the students’ curiosity in this system, the college will arrange extra dates for Excess Telecom to distribute the tablets for the remainder of the autumn 2022 semester.