Dive Brief:

• EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit dedicated to upgrading internet access in every public school classroom in the country, has released the full version of its Compare & Connect K-12 tool, which is designed to help districts stretch their existing broadband budgets.
• According to eSchool News, the free tool lets districts compare broadband prices and bandwidth speeds with their peers in the region or anywhere in the country to arm them with information that could help in negotiations with service providers.
• Great Falls Public Schools in Montana used the beta version of Compare & Connect K-12 and negotiated a long-term contract with its existing provider based on comparison data that allowed for 330% more bandwidth at an 8% increase in monthly cost.

Dive Insight:

Compare & Connect K-12 will give districts the power to negotiate better rates for broadband services without having to communicate directly with neighboring schools for comparison data. Under the Federal Communications Commission's E-Rate program, service providers are required to offer the lowest price for covered services that the provider charges to similarly situated, nonresidential customers. The free tool from EducationSuperHighway can ensure this is actually happening and arm schools with greater bargaining power for purchases outside of the federal program.

Last summer, the FCC ruled that AT&T overcharged schools in Florida’s Orange and Dixie counties for basic telephone services in violation of the E-Rate rules. The demands on IT leaders’ time in modern school districts are substantial, but it can be worth doing the extra due diligence of price comparisons when it comes to long-term service costs or even one-time technology purchases.