Montclair Group Gives Away Free Wi-Fi To 100 Local Families

Montclair, NJ – Almost 100 low-income families in Montclair will now have free, Wi-Fi Internet for four years.

In response to an “alarming achievement gap in Montclair’s public schools,” Montclair Kids First - a coalition of Montclair parents and residents – organized a sign up event on Saturday during which dozens of local families received “hot spot” devices.

In June of 2015, MKF members announced plans to work with JerseyOn - a statewide nonprofit focused on connecting low-income students and their families to the Internet - to purchase of a series of Sprint NETGEAR Fuse Mobile Hotspot devices which would be made available to all local parents whose children attend Montclair public schools and qualify for the district’s free and reduced lunch program.

There will be no cost or obligation to the user, but the device will be restricted to educational use, and Sprint and JerseyOn will ensure each Internet access device will block anything deemed inappropriate for children, MKF members stated.

• See related article: Four Years Of Free Internet For Montclair's Students

In addition to Saturday’s giveaway – MKF plans to donate 15 hot spot devices to the Montclair Public Library so parents will also be able to check out the devices like a book.

Sign up for Patch NJ email newsletters here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo via Montclair Kids First