Free internet service available to eligible Nevada students

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Students heading back to school will need reliable WiFi and at-home equipment, but not everybody has easy access to the internet.

Catherine Curtin-Coble is a teacher’s aide and has kids in 4th and 6th grade. They’re preparing for a virtual school year, but she’s not sure if their internet connection will hold up for the whole family.

“There’s going to be at least six of us in this house using one internet connection. We might have to get some hot spots of something, I don’t know,” Curtin-Coble said.

That concern spreads to thousands of other families across the valley.

The Clark County School District is pointing families to Connecting Kids Nevada for help. The organization is driven by the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force and led by Jim Murren and Elaine Wynn.

“It is clear to me and to many of us that if you’re going to have virtual education that is dependent on technology, it stands to reason that those who are probably deprived of the technology connectivity are probably those who are in need most,” Wynn said.

The organization partnered with Cox Communications to provide free internet for eligible students for the entire school year. Landline internet services will be subsidized by Cox and hotspots will be subsidized by CCSD, Wynn said.

To be eligible, you’ll need to fill out the online survey or call the family support center at 888-616-2476.

The service is available for students across the state and in all school districts.

CCSD has also partnered with the Clark County Library District and several Las Vegas businesses to set up WiFi hotspots throughout the valley.