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School-issued hot spots to be shut down during summer break

The Department of Education is shutting down all internet hot spots for the summer break unless otherwise requested.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Department of Education will be shutting down hot spots by the end of the month. In a memo to districts, the agency says all devices will be temporarily turned off unless requested otherwise.

Hot spots are small devices that bring internet access to many families that can't afford internet or don't have broadband. 

"Even outside of the virtual experience, students having access to the internet helps close the digital divide that exists in our country," said Dr. J.R. Green, Superintendent of Fairfield County School District. 

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About 85,000 families in South Carolina are closing that digital divide, thanks to hot spots provided by their school districts.

"Ideally, we’d love to see all students have access to high speed internet, particularly fiber, because that’s the most consistent and reliable. But in a rural area like Fairfield, many students don’t have access to fiber," Green said.

Without broadband, Green said many families still need hot spots over the summer because they have no other way of getting internet to their homes.

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The Department of Education is shutting down devices by the end of June to save money on monthly service charges, but they say districts can request to keep them on if needed.

In a statement to News19, the agency said “the hot spots were issued to assist students learning virtually but with five day a week instruction fully implemented statewide and the end of school, they have served their purpose this school year.”

Families that want their hot spots on this summer can submit a request to their district.

Education officials say devices will be reactivated by request in the fall. The department plans to cover the cost of hotspots through December with the help of federal funding.

NOTE: The video below is from a previous story.

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