USCellular Donates Hot Spots to YWCA Quad Cities

To help provide equitable learning access and opportunities and keep local youth connected, UScellular has donated 300 wireless hotspots and two years of service to the YWCA of the Quad Cities. The donation is worth $337,800 as part of the company’s After School Access Project, a news release says.

According to the release, currently, more than 40 million people in the United States lack reliable access to high-speed internet. This leads to an issue known as the “homework gap” among youth who lack proper internet access. UScellular’s After School Access Project provides free mobile hotspots and service to nonprofits that support youth after the school day has ended and provides safe internet access for homework and education.

“The success of students in the communities we serve is very important to us at UScellular,” said Joshua Olbricht, UScellular’s director of sales and operations for east Iowa. “Connecting people and communities is our mission, and the After School Access Project is just one way that we’re helping ensure students have the reliable access they need to grow and pursue their dreams.”

Hotspots are stand-alone Wi-Fi networks that can connect several devices at once wirelessly and have proven to be a vital tool for youth to access the internet, study and complete homework. The hotspots provided through the After School Access.

Project connect to UScellular’s network to provide high-speed connectivity for youth.

UScellular is focused on addressing gaps in STEM education and is committed to connecting more than 200,000 of tomorrow’s innovators each year with the resources they need today to help shape future opportunities, the release says. Since 2009, UScellular has donated nearly $22.6 million along with countless experiences and technology items to nonprofit organizations across the country. 

For more information about the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, visit here.