From Arkansas to New York, Fair waves Drives on the performance of mobile phones at schools.
As more states determine forbidden When using the student use, clients look for solutions that go beyond confiscation and fabric bags.
Enter Emily SmithAn entrepreneur whose high-tech lockers, already taken over by Springdale Public Schools from Arkansas, students voluntarily store their phones safely and they collect completely.
The result? Fewer distractions, happier teachers and, perhaps the most surprising, the feedback from honest waves indicates that students are actually on board.
Benzinga spoke with Smith, 35, about helping schools to navigate the new mobile phone standard and what the future has in store for honest waves.
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BZ: What are the “Bell to Bell, No Cell” laws?
Blacksmith: States throughout the country, these new ‘bell to bell’ laws roll out, and although the rules vary – some ban phones completely, others allow them between classes or per degree level – the goal is the same: reduced distraction. Schools that have tested these forbidden already see better focus and fewer behavioral problems. Everyone makes movements very quickly and the States almost not give schools enough time to proceed – just a few months. So everyone clambers. That’s where we come in.
BZ: How long is the company in the area?
We have been there since the end of 2023. My partner and I had another company in the same room. We sold it a few years ago, and our non-competition clauses were on, and we are: “Hey, no one is doing very well with this. Let’s go back in it.” Between the two of us we have about 12 years of experience at the charging station.
BZ: Have you reached VCS?
No, we are completely financed, only ourselves. We are also positive, so we don’t take investors. We are in a really great space that explodes, with all these different sectors that are trying to come in and implement new solutions. So that’s where we are.
BZ: Are these high -tech lockers for other assets?
We started making lockers for charging phones. The space changed over time. They now need schools for Chromebooks and warehouses, among other things, for scanners and RF weapons. So everything someone wants, we will tailor it. You dream it, I’m going to make it.
BZ: What does the honest waving plan look like when you walk into a school like Springdale?
Springdale actually reached us in November 2024. We found the right solution for them, depending on where they intend to place it (ie, in classrooms or common areas), and then we determined the optimum size. We build, produce, send and implement it, and then it undergoes a district -wide rollout.
BZ: Fair waves produces in China. Are you worried about rates?
Before all this tariff circus happened, we had always been interested in moving everything that says. There are government entities that will only have products in the US. We do some work in the US (a warehouse in Long Beach, California), and we have discussed to bring everything that stands. And I think that is important for many customers. We are currently happy with our production facilities, but we have discussed the possibility of a full step. But we didn’t fully decide.
BZ: requires building the lockers any form of outreach for big tech, such as Microsoft MSFT or apple Apepl?
Not at all. We configure the charging options. There is no data transfer in one of our devices. So all our cables have data block technology. Even if you want to transfer data, it is blocked. It is not even an option. We also make a specific K-12 solution that focuses exactly on what we have discussed with principals. I have visited school districts that implement these rollouts and have met their clients and teachers. Everything is ADA conform for one of the students who need it. They are also vandal-resistant and they all have LED indicator lamps. So the administration can pass by and say: “Oh, bay number 32 is red.” Johnny “has not placed his phone there. Let’s get it out of his backpack.” We build it so that students have access to their ID cards. We have timers where the administration can lock it up, so that a student cannot pick it up until the timer goes up at 3 p.m. when the school is out.
BZ: say, for example: “Johnny” does not want to hand over his phone. What was a few feedback that you received?
Many places started with those Yondr bags. Administrators hate it. Students brought fake telephones and locked them while they kept their real hidden. With our lockers, LED indicators confirm that a phone is actually inside and charging, so that teachers do not have to play detective. Feedback from schools has been clear: teachers love it because it improves attention and behavior without the drama. Many districts now place lockers directly on access points, so telephones are dropped off immediately and students go free to the classroom distribution.
BZ: After schools, where do honest waves make waves?
We work with a wide range of government entities, ranging from prisons to the IRS to court halls. We are in a lot of hospitals. We offer UVC cleaning, which is automatically switched on once you have closed the door, disinfect everything in the bays. This function is popular in hospitals. We work with a lot of distribution centers, with our Smart Asset Lockers, which is really big for us. We did not know that we would do that in 2023 when we started, and now it is an important part of our company. We are also in hospitality. We offer lockers for trade fairs and conference centers, so that you can rent and brands them. We also offer portable battery packages, where you can walk to a kiosk, scan the QR code and rent one. So we all do it.
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