Cabrera calls for Wi-Fi buses
BY JASON COHEN
Nearly three million students
nationwide don’t have
access to the internet. In fact,
some states like Alabama, Wisconsin
and South Carolina use
portable Wi-Fi buses to bring
connectivity to families.
One elected offi cial is aware
of this problem and now, more
than ever with virtual learning,
needs it resolved.
On Friday, Councilman Fernando
Cabrera submitted legislation
calling on the MTA and
New York City Transit to locate
Wi-Fi enabled buses in low income
neighborhoods where few
people have internet access.
“We’ve always known we
have a digital divide,” Cabrera
said. “But the COVID-19 pandemic
has made it glaringly
clear just how bad it is, as the
DOE has tried to roll out remote
learning and so many families
can’t access the Internet.”
Cabrera’s legislation is
based on models being used
in school districts in several
states.
Last week, when the Department
of Education began
its rollout of online learning
after school closings, the lack
of internet access, particularly
in the city’s hundreds of family
shelters highlighted the inability
of children in low income
and homeless families to complete
their online assignments.
This should not be the
case. In this digital age no one
should be without internet access,
especially if they are required
to learn from home,
he said. Someone dropped the
ball getting students ready and
it’s time for this to be fi xed, he
stressed.
“We know that access to
broadband is tied to income,”
Cabrera said. “It should not
have been any surprise to
us that kids without this access
are now trying to do
their school work on a parent’s
phone. We don’t know
what’s going to happen in the
fall with the coronavirus. We
need to have something that
will bridge us and prepare
the kids.”
This follows up on the
councilman’s request last
week for the Department of
Education (DOE) to immediately
distribute all working
File photo
surplus laptops and tablets to
students in need.
BRONX TIMES R 6 EPORTER, APR. 10-16, 2020 BTR
He told the Bronx Times,
whether it is a school bus
with a router, or an MTA bus,
which is already Wi-Fi ready,
poor areas of the Bronx need
these buses as soon as possible.
“I think this is a viable way
to deal with this issue that a
lot of students are facing,” the
councilman commented.
He noted not having Wi-Fi
access affects more than just
their education. People are
quarantined and the internet
allows them to communicate
via email, social media,
Skype and Zoom. Now, imagine
if this wasn’t feasible, people
will get depressed and isolated,
he said.
Cabrera hopes the government
agencies heed his request.
“If we have Wi-Fi people
could feel connected,” he explained.
“There’s a lack of
foresight by the BOE.”
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