Facebook is testing free Wi-Fi to a small number of students in the neighborhood surrounding the Rutherford Opportunity Centre next to its data center in North Carolina. Facebook has partnered with the Rutherford County Schools and PANGAEA Internet to provide internet to an initial 800 students.
“We’re hoping this program will build on the school system’s 1:1 initiative, which provides a personal laptop to every middle and high school student in the district. More than 6,000 students have received a laptop so far through that program, but administration officials have found that nearly half of those students don’t have access to the internet at home,” says Kevin McCammon, Facebook data center manager
This initiative comes at a time the FCC has approved a $2 billion into US schools to improve WiFi.
