Survey: Schools need faster broadband speeds
FCC survey reveals that schools hope to implement digital texts, handheld devices soon
By Laura Devaney, Managing Editor
Helping Students Learn with Reliable Wireless Connectivity
Fast and reliable broadband access is critical for schools.
More than half of school and library respondents in a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) e-Rate survey say they provide some form of wireless internet access for school employees and students, but almost 80 percent of those same respondents said their broadband connections are inadequate.
Fifty-five percent of those who said their broadband connections are inadequate said that slow connection speed was the deciding factor in that decision.
Ten percent of survey respondents have broadband speeds of 100 Mbps or faster, and more than half (55 percent) have broadband speeds greater than 3 Mbps. More than half of school districts surveyed (60 percent) use a fiber optic connection, and 66 percent of respondents offer wireless internet access for staff, students, or library patrons.
For more stories on broadband in schools, see the following:
For minorities, new ‘digital divide’ seen
Slightly more than half (56 percent) of survey respondents said they plan to implement or expand their use of digital textbooks in the next two to three years, and 45 percent said they expect to implement or expand handheld devices for educational purposes.
One Response to Survey: Schools need faster broadband speeds
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cestrada
January 24, 2011 at 3:27 pm
It is happening all over the world. We currently have 10 Mbps with 430 computers connected and will double up in the next two weeks. But already planning for more because we have in mind the digital textbooks and with the improvement of our LAN and wireless access students are connecting all kind of devices.
Claudia M. Estrada
Guatemala
cestrada
January 24, 2011 at 3:27 pm
It is happening all over the world. We currently have 10 Mbps with 430 computers connected and will double up in the next two weeks. But already planning for more because we have in mind the digital textbooks and with the improvement of our LAN and wireless access students are connecting all kind of devices.
Claudia M. Estrada
Guatemala