STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — More than 350,000 public school students in New York City will receive new internet-enabled devices — for free — this school year to help provide access and programming to students.
Mayor Eric Adams, Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, T-Mobile, Dell Technologies, and New York Yankees player Jazz Chisholm Jr. announced that the new devices will be distributed to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, as the city works to bridge the digital divide and invest in a more affordable city for working-class New Yorkers.
Students will be able to use these cellular-connected devices to get online for free, wherever they live.
“Access to reliable technology and high-speed internet is a modern-day necessity, and, right now, too many New York City students don’t have it,” said Adams. “That doesn’t just prevent progress inside the classroom, it limits opportunities outside of it — but our administration is changing that and providing our young people with free devices to stay connected in the 21st century.”
These students will receive LTE- or 5G-connected Chromebooks with internet access and optimized educational programming. This rollout closes device access gaps and replaces outdated equipment that no longer meet current instructional and security standards — while ensuring students have keyboard-enabled devices vital for writing, researching, and completing class assignments.
They will be rolled out in the coming months, and will prepare students with 21st-century skills, including typing, online research, and responsible internet use.
The Chromebooks will support Google Workspace, city Department of Education applications, and state assessment platforms. Devices will allow seamless learning between school and home, regardless of a student’s location. The devices will be configured and enrolled using Google Management Console, which applies DOE enterprise settings to ensure secure, standardized access across all devices.
Key applications pre-loaded on each device will include:
Google Workspace for Education: Features widely used programs across DOE for instruction, assignments, collaboration, and communication.TeachHub: DOE’s secure, single sign-on portal for students, teachers, and staff — providing centralized access to digital learning applications, instructional resources, announcements, and integrated tools like Google Classroom, Clever, and iLearnNYC.iLearnNYC: Provides access to digital curriculum materials, personalized learning platforms, and DOE-approved content aligned to standards.
The 350,000 devices being distributed to students will come equipped with T-Mobile LTE or 5G access, thanks to an agreement between the city and T-Mobile.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.