(BPT) - Coral Almazan was in high school during the pandemic. Like millions of other kids in school at that time, she suddenly found herself adrift, sent home to continue classwork online, but without reliable internet access at home.

She recalls how challenging it was to stay connected to the internet - and to her school, teachers and classmates - as she worked hard to earn her high school diploma.

"Those are supposed to be the best times of your life, yet we were stuck behind computer screens," Almazan recalled. "There were times the electricity bill still needed to be paid, and I was left wondering, 'How will I connect to my classes? How will I complete my homework?' I remember struggling."

The digital divide

The pandemic brought into clearer focus the wider problem that still persists: the digital divide, or gap between students who have regular access to reliable internet and those who do not. That's why her story still resonates. Despite the clear ongoing need for connectivity in today's increasingly digital-first learning environment, reliable home internet still remains out of reach for too many.

Too many families still need to access internet connectivity at their local library, or even sitting outside neighborhood businesses where they can tap into free Wi-Fi to get homework done, communicate with teachers or apply to college.

In a new survey* commissioned by T-Mobile, 3 in 10 parents describe their home internet as only somewhat reliable. For many families, staying connected comes at a steep cost. In fact, nearly one-fourth (24%) have had to cut back on essentials like food or utilities just to afford their internet. Most parents (85%) agree that families shouldn't have to make that kind of trade-off to keep their students learning.

How T-Mobile is making a difference

To help families nationwide get connected, T-Mobile's nationwide initiative, Project 10Million, has been working to help close the digital divide by offering free mobile hotspots, free high-speed data and access to low-cost devices to eligible K-12 student households. Since 2020, the program has connected over 6.3 million students, delivering over $7.3 billion in products and services that enable learning from home.

Project 10Million offers free internet access to eligible K-12 student households including:

• A free mobile hotspot
• 200GB of high-speed data per year for students who sign up directly with T-Mobile through the T-Mobile website, not their school district (increased from 100GB in 2024)
• Access to low-cost laptops and tablets

Project 10Million is available to any student household participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or other government assistance programs. Families can sign up at T-Mobile.com/project10million or through participating school districts.

Families who sign up directly receive a hotspot, powered by T-Mobile's network - America's Best Network. If families reach their data cap, they can purchase a 10GB data pass for just $10, keeping the service accessible and affordable.

Connectivity leads to success

Looking back, Almazan credits her free T-Mobile hotspot with helping her succeed in high school as well as getting into college.

"It changed everything for my whole family," Almazan said. "It wasn't just my schoolwork. My siblings were able to do theirs too, with no lag, even when we were online together. The graphics on my class Zooms got so much clearer. It made a huge difference."

Today, Almazan is pursuing a criminal justice degree at Houston Christian University and is already taking graduate-level courses. She's also using her experience to inspire other students and advocate for more equitable access to digital resources. She credits T-Mobile's Project 10Million as a pivotal part of her aspirations.

"Project 10Million definitely influenced me to go into policy work," Almazan shared. "Helping each other out should be everybody's motivation."

To learn more about the program or to sign up, visit T-Mobile.com/project10million.

*The Project 10Million Survey was conducted via a PN View survey fielded by Big Village among a sample of 1,005 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older who are parents with children 17 years of age and under living at home. This survey was live on July 24-29, 2025.