The offer usually includes a network, a laser printer, software, high-speed Internet access, and totally free installation and support of the system. Nothing, it's free. Most of the offers come from companies who run Web sites known as portals. A portal is a Web site that acts as a gateway to other Web sites. Specialized portals, such as those maintained for investors, provide links to investment sites.
General portals provide a full index of categories, each of which has links to Web sites.
For the schools, the home page for Internet access is the portal of the company that provides the free system. Because the Web portal has advertisements and links to shopping. Nobody in the Kindergarten to 12th grade age range has ever seen a commercial or hung out at the local mall, and the school districts don't want to commit the sin of introducing these nefarious ideas to students. Moral indignation about commercials in exchange for good educational tools from folks who vote down bond issues for school construction, and won't support politicians who recommend spending taxes for textbooks, supplies and higher salaries that would draw better teachers. The Web page changes frequently, but the day I visited I found some links to places students can shop for information and goods at the same time.