Last year at ISTE, one of our favorite companies was Kajeet. While they do have a great product, or interest in the company has much more to do with their mission. Kajeet is on a mission to offer educators – be it an individual teacher, a school, or even a school district – a means to extend learning outside of the classroom by “providing managed broadband access outside of the classroom.”1 Student at-home broadband access is one of the major challenges facing educators these days, especially those who employ a heavy dose of technology within the classroom. As such, Kajeet has focused on bridging the digital divide:
Within every school district there are still students who lack access to broadband internet access in the home. As our schools expand anytime, anywhere access to learning, bridging this digital divide is crucial to maintain equity. By providing a SmartSpot managed access, a school can provide the connectivity each disadvantaged student needs without the worry that it will be abused.2
In order to bridge the divide, Kajeet has developed the MiFi SmartSpot. The mobile hotspot offers educators an affordable way to provide at-home managed broadband to students who may not otherwise be able to access the internet at home. During FETC last week, we had a chance to talk to the Kajeet team. We learned a bit more about their mission, as well as some new developments:
