HIGH POINT, NC – Lumos has been selected as the Technology & Data Institute’s (TDI) broadband partner for the “Borderless Classroom” pilot in Guilford County Schools. The provider is working with TDI to bring critical digital infrastructure to select houses.

In June 2023, TDI sought proposals for a pilot program to bring broadband service with minimum speeds of 100 Mbps x 20 Mbps and educational network access to students in several pilot schools by the fall of 2023. The program will initially cover three schools in High Point, NC, through the end of the 2026 school year but has the potential to reach an additional 30,000 students who do not have access to an adequate and affordable in-home broadband network.

Lumos’ proposal of its 500 Mbps x 500 Mbps service, Total Home Wi-Fi, and dual SSID support for the school system’s educational network greatly exceeded the speed requirements. After a competitive process, TDI awarded Lumos the opportunity to provide the pilot services to students. The program secured funding through two grants totaling approximately $3.5 million and will provide high-speed internet service to certain student households for three school years.

“Lumos is committed to changing lives and contributing toward a more equitable future through reliable, lightning-fast fiber optic internet,” said Lumos CEO Brian Stading. “We are empowering the possibilities of tomorrow where we envision every student having equal opportunities to learn in our ever-evolving digital world.”

The wireless network will be pre-configured on Guilford County Schools’ (GCS) student devices, allowing students to connect to the GCS network from their homes and gain access to vital educational resources. It is important for parents to know that this internet service will be web-filtered for safe student research and educational use when using a GCS-issued device.

“In the digital age, it is critically important that all K-12 students have access to the internet to participate in online learning. I was proud to secure federal funding for the Technology Data Institute, and I’m pleased to see Lumos partner with TDI to launch this transformative program, which will initially deliver high-speed internet to 1,000 households in High Point,” said Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06). “This program will bridge the digital education divide, improve equitable outcomes in education for low-income homes, and set the standard for the future of broadband initiatives.”

Lumos will launch the educational network portion of the offering, thanks to their deployment of Calix SmartTown, a managed service on the Calix broadband platform that easily serves entities like schools, municipalities, and more. By offering differentiated services and hardware, Lumos can best serve its customers’ needs and enable students to stay connected.

“Lumos has an inspiring vision to be the kind of broadband provider that’s known for the value they deliver to their communities,” said Mark Dressler, Chief Revenue Officer at Calix. “We are proud to support Lumos teams with a broadband platform that enables them to differentiate, win new markets, and grow their subscriber base by deploying a range of managed services that delight their customers and create world-class communities.”