AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise have teamed up to make the school bus a classroom on wheels, introducing a “Connected Bus” solution that helps K-12 school districts deliver new, affordable learning experiences and other capabilities to students, teachers and bus drivers across their school transportation systems.

Now available nationwide, Connected Bus supports various technology-in-education initiatives in the U.S. by using wireless technology, AT&T’s 4G LTE network and devices to increase students’ access to information, instruction and teachers, company officials said. Designed to perform on the move, Connected Bus provides new options for school districts to extend the school day, from the time students board the school bus until they arrive at home.  

Connected Bus offers a comprehensive way for school systems to address many of the issues they face in pupil transportation. The companies said that the solution:

•    makes it easier to extend Internet connectivity on buses. With onboard Wi-Fi, students can access the Internet on their own devices. They can communicate with family or friends, complete homework or access information on the way to a field trip.
•    offers real-time streaming video and broadcast speakers, enabling schools to deliver individual or district-wide broadcast announcements.
•    is a student safety tool, allowing remote monitoring of driver and student behavior to limit the potential for accidents and bullying.  

An interactive demonstration has been shown at the 2014 International Society for Technology in Education 2014 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, June 29 – July 1 (AT&T booth #3348).

Connected Bus builds upon AT&T’s ongoing commitment to using technology to transform education. Recently, AT&T pledged $100 million to ConnectED, a White House initiative to connect 99% of classrooms to next-generation digital learning by 2017. The funds will provide 50,000 middle and high school students in Title 1 schools free Internet connectivity for educational devices over the company’s 4G mobile broadband network.