Deleting the Digital Divide: Device Shortage Expected to Continue

Students utilizing devices outside of campus
The problems that tightened access to student computing devices during the height of the pandemic are expected to plague districts in the coming school year too. With billions pouring into education from federal coffers, schools and districts will be purchasing like never before, causing new shortages.
 
While no one knows what the immediate future holds in terms of supply and demand,  Deleting the Digital Divide: Device Shortage Expected to Continue— a paper sponsored by Omnipro and Lenovo, and produced by The Journal—outlines five ways that schools and districts can optimize their device purchasing.
 
  1. Take advantage of consortium buying 
  2. Make your needs known
  3. Stick with the standard
  4. Be thoughtful about the warranty
  5. Choose “white glove” service
 
In addition, the paper reveals five things to understand about LTE devices:
 
  1. Understand your curriculum needs before signing the contract
  2. Do a coverage analysis
  3. There’s room for negotiation
  4. Management works the same
  5. SIM cards impervious to student mischief
 
This situation may reach a point where a school or district’s main objective will be simply getting devices, with price not being that significant a concern: more important in this stage of education will be in meeting needs and addressing concerns.