Last week, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai emphasized his concerns regarding the broadband haves and have-nots in the United States in a speech he gave before the FCC staff. “One of the most significant things that I’ve seen during my time here is that there is a digital divide in this country − between those who can use cutting-edge communications services and those who do not … We must work to bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans,” Pai said.
Public schools in the United States have been a key area of focus over the last several years in efforts to better bridge the digital divide. So what’s the status in that arena and which states are doing best? Education SuperHighway, a nonprofit focusing on upgrading internet access in U.S. public schools that’s funded by the likes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others, put out its “State of the States” report this week. It points to a number of states that it says are leading the way in ensuring that their students have access to equal educational opportunities provided by technology.
The report says that every student in Hawaii, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Wyoming meets the minimum connectivity goal of 100 kilobits per second per student. Additionally, Education SuperHighway says Kentucky and Hawaii join Delaware, Tennessee, and West Virginia in having every school connected via some sort of fiber technology.
“It is clear: states are making tremendous progress in getting more and more students online at the speeds necessary to take advantage of digital learning. During the past year, an additional 10.4 million students gained the minimum connectivity they need, and 88 percent of school districts nationally are now meeting minimum connectivity goals,” Evan Marwell, founder and CEO of Education SuperHighway, observes. “This is a credit to the governors, state and school district leaders, service providers, and many other partners who have come together to ensure that our students can fully access the modern learning resources that are crucial to their academic development and future professional success.”
The nonprofit’s “2016 State of the States” report is available here.
