Obama Secures $750M in Pledges to Get Kids Online

[Playinghardball]

Claiming progress in his campaign to get American schools wired for the future, President Barack Obama is announcing commitments from U.S. companies totaling about $750 million to connect more students to high-speed Internet.

Apple is pledging $100 million in iPads, computers and other tools. AT&T and Sprint are contributing free Internet service through their wireless networks. Verizon is pitching in up to $100 million in cash and in-kind contributions. And Microsoft is making Windows available at discounted prices and offering 12 million free copies of Microsoft Office software.

Obama was to announce the commitments Tuesday at a middle school in the Maryland suburbs near Washington. Also in the pipeline: an addition $2 billion that the Federal Communications Commission is setting aside from service fees over two years to connect another 20 million students to high-speed Internet.

More here: http://www.ktvu.com/news/ap/kids-family/obama-secures-750m-in-pledges-to-get-kids-online/ndCJP/

Found on the Obama Diary

[DURHAM D]

1. When will the corporate haters show up to complain about this?

[global1]

2. All Tech Companies Should Be Required To First Put Their Newest Technology In Schools Before....

they're allowed to sell to the general public. This should be their commitment to the future of education and technology in the United States.

[msongs]

3. great marketing & PR for the techies plus a tax write off so it will cost them nothing nt