Up to $200 for mobile equipment.
Participating schools can receive up to $200 per student to put toward mobile internet devices, including hotspots, laptops, and tablets.
24-month service agreement required. See full terms
THE EMPOWERED® 2.0 PROGRAM
Equal access to online learning.
The EmpowerED 2.0 program aims to narrow America's digital divide by providing wireless devices and service plans to eligible schools and their students. Think this program would benefit students in your school or district? Tell us how.
Looking for information about our previous EmpowerED program? Get the details
The opportunity
Narrow America’s digital divide.
The challenge.
Many families in the U.S. don’t have high-speed internet at home. This digital divide leaves many students without access to digital textbooks and other materials off-campus, often causing them to fall behind their peers with online access.
The solution.
Because internet access is so critical to a modern education, we can help level the playing field by providing wireless devices and service plans for K-12 students in eligible schools through the EmpowerED 2.0 Program.
Program details
The benefits of EmpowerED 2.0.Up to $200 for mobile equipment.
If you cancel service before fulfillment of the 24-month term, the prorated portion of the hardware award - the hardware award value times the number of months remaining, divided by 24 - is due. Students must be allowed to take home the devices offered through EmpowerED 2.0. Months (including summer months) that service is suspended will not count toward fulfillment of the 24-month term.
An affordable mobile data plan.
Sign a two-year contract on a qualifying unlimited plan for $20/month.
During congestion, the small fraction of customers using >50GB/mo. may notice reduced speeds until next bill cycle due to data prioritization. Video typically streams on smartphone/tablet at 480p. Unlimited on our network. See full terms
Mobile data plans.
Sales tax and regulatory fees included in monthly service price. If you cancel service before fulfillment of the 24-month term, the prorated portion of the hardware award - the hardware award value times the number of months remaining, divided by 24 - is due. Partial megabytes rounded up. U.S. roaming and on-network data allotments differ: includes 50GB roaming. Standard int’l speeds approx. 128 Kbps; no tethering. Not for extended international use; you must reside in the U.S. and primary usage must occur on our U.S. network. Device must register on our U.S. network before international use. Video streaming at up to 1.5Mbps; may affect speed of video downloads. For best performance, leave video streaming applications at default automatic resolution setting. Network Management: Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated, or restricted for misuse, abnormal use, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or significant roaming. See T-Mobile.com/OpenInternet for details.
Reliable service and support.
Count on planning, implementation, deployment support, and content filtering to help prevent access to inappropriate content.
Contact us to speak to an education expert.
Our solution in action.
Equipping a school district with community-wide internet access.
Find out how we partnered with the Palm Springs Unified School District to give students and faculty members internet access in schools, community hangouts, and apartment complexes.
Application
Give every student a chance to succeed.We’re accepting applications from elementary, middle, and high schools across the U.S.
Before you apply, check our primary criteria.
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Required:
• 80% of the school’s geographic enrollment zone covered by T-Mobile 4G LTE. Check our coverage map.
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Preferred:
• At least 40% of students receiving free or reduced lunch at each school.
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• A high school dropout rate of 5% or more.
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• At least 15% of students who are not grade-level proficient in math and reading by 9th grade.
Numbers should be aggregate for all high schools if an entire district is applying.
Complete the program application.
We select participants based on the criteria, application, and interview described below. Program eligibility and approval is determined at our sole discretion.
Contact us to speak to an education expert.
Your commitment
Help us measure the program’s success.We’ll work with you to collect data to help measure the impact we’ve made.
Participate in training.
Your school or district will need to commit to training relevant teachers and administrators on how to best utilize the devices and service.
Provide metrics.
Your school or district will also be asked to provide data by grade level, including ELA and math proficiency, and tardiness/attendance records.
Conduct surveys.
Your school or district must conduct two anonymous online surveys about student technology usage created by us: one prior to receiving access and one at the end of the school year.
Got questions?
What are the eligibility criteria for participation in this program?
School districts nationwide that meet the following criteria are eligible to participate in this program:
Required:
- Each school is located in an area where T-Mobile has 4G LTE coverage over at least 80% of the school's geographic enrollment zone. T-Mobile will validate eligibility for this requirement; to see coverage in your area please check our coverage map.
Preferred:
- At least 40% of students receive free or reduced lunch at each school.
- At least 5% or more of students are dropping out of high school (aggregate for all high schools if a school district is applying).
- At least 15% of students are not grade-level proficient in math and reading by the 9th grade (aggregate for all high schools if a school district is applying).
Can private/charter schools apply for this program?
Yes, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
Does this program have any grade-level requirements?
No, the program is available for students in grades K-12, as long as all school sites meet all eligibility criteria.
What type of equipment will be included in this program?
Free mobile internet devices with a subsidy of up to $200 per mobile Internet device, for devices over $200 on $20/month Unlimited LTE plan. Up to $100 per mobile internet device subsidy for subscribers on $10/month for 2GB LTE, with 128Kbps thereafter. Equipment will vary based on availability at the time of the program award. School districts will select equipment based on their technology needs.
Does this program have any minimum or maximum students served for each school or district?
The minimum number of students served from each school or district is 25. The maximum number of students will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Will T-Mobile provide any technical deployment support as part of this program?
All schools/districts will receive planning, implementation, and deployment support.
Do the mobile broadband services include access to a content filter?
Yes. EmpowerED 2.0 participants may choose one of these two options at no additional charge: (1) Web Guard to filter http web page content on our network; or (2) WebTitan by TitanHQ™, a third-party product which can filter even secured (https) traffic at the domain level. Schools that do not use a T-Mobile-facilitated filter thereby acknowledge that they will provide their own CIPA-compliant filter on all EmpowerED devices for the duration of their use.
Does this program have a minimum contract term commitment?
Yes, school districts or individual schools are required to participate in the program for 24 months.
What are the program reporting requirements?
All participants in this program will be required to submit annual or biannual reports to T-Mobile. Reports will contain quantitative and qualitative data to measure the effectiveness of increased access on student achievement. LEAs or individual schools shall provide data that it already collects through standardized testing or benchmark reports. All reports submitted to T-Mobile should not include any student names, and the LEA or school should incorporate anonymous identifiers where necessary. In addition, teachers, administrators, students, and parents will be required to participate in anonymous biannual surveys used to measure perception, adoption, and support/resistance levels to the program.
What are the costs associated with this program?
Two discounted education rate plans are available:
- Unlimited LTE for $20/month: Unlimited 4G LTE data on our network.
- 2GB for $10/month: Up to 2GB of high-speed data, followed by data at reduced speeds up to 128kbps. T-Mobile will waive the service charge for the 2GB plan for the applicants that demonstrate the highest need. T-Mobile will award a limited number of waivers at its sole discretion.
During congestion, the small fraction of customers using >50GB/mo. may notice reduced speeds until next bill cycle due to data prioritization. Video typically streams on T-Mobile device at DVD quality (480p).
Are any of the devices or service plans included in this program E-Rate eligible?
No. The lines of service through this program are intended to support off-campus use and are not eligible for discounts from the E-Rate program. For more information about E-Rate programs, including eligible services, see (http://www.universalservice.org/sl/applicants/beforeyoubegin/eligible-services-list.aspx).
T-Mobile is the E-Rate provider for my school. May we participate in EmpowerED 2.0?
No. Schools that select E-Rate with T-Mobile are not eligible for EmpowerED 2.0. Similarly, T-Mobile will not be able to serve as your E-Rate provider if you are selected for EmpowerED 2.0.
What is the deadline for submitting an application?
This is a multi-year program and applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
How can I tell if my application has been received by T-Mobile?
T-Mobile will send the primary contact a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of the application.
How long will it take to review my application?
Applications will require at least 7-14 business days to review. If the application meets all eligibility criteria, T-Mobile will contact the applicant directly via email to schedule a phone interview.
Who should I contact if I have a question regarding the application?
Please contact us via email at EmpowerED@t-mobile.com.
Can students take the devices home?
Yes. Students must be permitted to take home the devices offered through EmpowerED 2.0.