Lincoln Public Schools to Provide City-Wide Student Internet Access
Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) and Allo Fiber are partnering to provide wireless internet access to all middle and high school students throughout Lincoln, Nebraska, regardless of their home internet connectivity.
The expanded access, announced today outside Lincoln High School, will leverage Allo Fiber’s “Smart Schools” program, utilizing nearly 100,000 business and residential access points to create a city-wide network accessible on school-issued Chromebooks. Approximately 23,000 students in grades 6-12 will benefit, building on existing access for around 2,000 high schoolers. Students can request access through an online help ticket by selecting “Other,” then “Allo SmartTown for Education,” and adding a comment. This initiative aims to bridge the digital divide, ensuring all students have the resources needed to succeed academically.
Governor Jim Pillen emphasized the importance of the program, stating, “The one thing we all agree on, right? Our kids are our future. We’re never going to give up on our kids, and we sure as heck got to have them in the 21st century.” The Smart Schools network will maintain existing school safety features, blocking access to inappropriate content. The program is already available in several other Nebraska communities, including Waverly and York, and is expanding to locations in Colorado and Arizona. Learn more about the importance of closing the digital divide.
Allo President Brad Moline noted the program’s origins in the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many students lacked reliable internet access for virtual learning. He envisions students utilizing the network in various community locations, stating, “We should be a community that learns everywhere.” The program relies on the participation of Allo customers, who contribute residential access points to the network. For more information on Lincoln Public Schools, visit their official website.
Officials stated plans are underway to expand the Smart Schools program to additional communities throughout the state in the coming months.
(TNS) — Thousands of students across Lincoln will soon be able to access their online homework assignments and class materials from anywhere in Lincoln, regardless of whether their home has Internet.
Lincoln Public Schools and Allo Fiber are teaming up to provide access to wireless Internet for all LPS middle and high school students through the Internet provider’s Smart Schools program.
Allo will use nearly 100,000 business and residential access points to create a network that’s accessible to participating students on their school-issued Chromebooks. Once connected, students can take advantage of free, high-speed Wi-Fi from home or at local businesses and other public places.
About 2,000 LPS high schoolers already have access to the Smart Schools Internet, but it will now be available to the roughly 23,000 LPS students in grades 6-12.
To gain access to the Smart Schools network, students must go to their online portal and request a help ticket. They should click “Other,” “Allo SmartTown for Education,” and type a comment before submitting the ticket.
The network will maintain at-school safety features, ensuring students won’t be able to access any unsafe or inappropriate content.
Leaders from LPS and Allo and Gov. Jim Pillen announced the expanded partnership outside of Lincoln High School Friday afternoon.
“The one thing we all agree on, right? Our kids are our future. We’re never going to give up on our kids, and we sure as heck got to have them in the 21st century,” Pillen said.
The program is currently available to some school districts throughout the state, including in Waverly, York, Grand Island, Imperial and Sidney. There are plans to expand the program in Roca, Hastings and North Platte. Several communities in Colorado and Arizona also take part.
Students can use the Smart Schools network to connect to the Internet in any participating community.
The partnership represents a shared commitment by LPS and Allo to provide equitable access to the Internet by eliminating broadband barriers that often disproportionately affect underserved students.
The idea to offer accessible Internet to all students born during the COVID-19 pandemic when many students faced limitations to their learning. At the time, many students learned virtually, exacerbating disparities among low-income students.
“Can you believe that we had people sitting outside coffee shops and pizza joints and hamburger joints that really wanted to learn and couldn’t?” said Brad Moline, Allo president.
Smart Schools enables students to extend learning beyond the walls of the school building, essentially “expanding the classroom,” according to Allo.
Moline thanked Allo customers for making Smart Schools possible, because residential access points ensure students across Lincoln can get online. His vision is for students to use Smart Schools to learn where they couldn’t learn before, whether at home or out in the community.
“Maybe it’s sitting over in the parking lot. Maybe it’s sitting down at the Railyard,” Moline said. “We should be a community that learns everywhere.”
© 2025 Lincoln Journal Star, Neb. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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