President Barack Obama has announced commitments from U.S. companies totaling around $750 million to the government’s ConnectEd initiative.
Apple is pledging $100 million in iPads, computers and other tools. AT&T and Sprint are contributing free Internet service through their wireless networks. Verizon is pitching in up to $100 million in cash and in-kind contributions. And Microsoft is making Windows available at discounted prices and offering 12 million free copies of Microsoft Office software.
Mr. Obama is scheduled to announce the commitments on Tuesday at a suburban Maryland middle school. Also to be announced, the Federal Communications Commission is setting aside $2 billion received from service fees over two years to connect another 20 million students to high-speed Internet.
