Digital Smarts - Digital Divide Expands Because of Lack of Bandwidth

As digital learning is expected to expand, data shows 67% of K-12 schools – comprising of approximately 31.5 million students -- do not meet the recommended threshold of 1 megabits per second per student, according to a report by Connected Nation. Yet, data shows some improvement in median bandwidth per student and costs. Rural areas' unique issues often make broadband connection difficult, and hotspots won’t work in some districts, such as Tennessee’s Polk County School District, where some areas lack cellular towers. According a report by the National 4-H Council and Microsoft, 20% of teenagers live in rural areas without high-speed broadband internet, and 50% say they struggle to do homework for that reason.

To overcome the challenge, some districts are teaming up with private businesses in creative ways. For example, Ector County Independent School District in Odessa, Texas, is partnering with SpaceX to transmit high-speed, low-latency internet access to some students’ homes via the company's Starlink satellite system. The service will launch in early 2021 with 45 families who live in remote areas and have no Internet options.