Internet Access Outside of Schools Is as Important as Access Within Schools

 

I was prompted by a conversation with a colleague to write this post about rural school districts and broadband access. Because I work mainly with rural districts, I'm very aware of the issues that internet access raises.

While rural schools usually provide internet access at good speeds, they are only able to do so because of government subsidies.  Once students in rural districts get home, internet access is often woefully slow or non-existent.  The internet has replaced television and print media as the primary conveyor of information for our society.  Because rural students are unable to access broadband internet at home, they are at a disadvantage educationally and socially.

First, let's consider how rural populations access the internet to see how lacking the access is.  Contrary to popular belief, most rural and low socioeconomic populations do access the internet daily.  In my research, I have found that ~95-97% of people in rural districts use the internet daily, even with poverty rates above 20%.  However, how these people access the internet is different than urban populations in the following ways:

1.  Devices-many use phones as the only internet connected device.  If a computer is owned, it is likely of significant age and limited capability.

2.  Providers-most use dial-up or DSL connections.  There is also usually only a single provider for the population.

Because most of the US population live in urban areas and media reports from those areas, broadband internet access seems to be readily available throughout the country.  However, outside of urban areas, broadband does not exist.

To illustrate the lack of broadband access in rural areas, consider that the FCC definition of broadband is 25 Mbps, up from 4 Mbps a year ago http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/29/7932653/fcc-changed-definition-broadband-25mbps

If the only provider for home internet for a rural population is DSL (or dial-up), as it is where I live, the max speed is 6 Mbps (theoretical).  The real life speed is 3 Mbps or less.

Since many in rural populations use phones for internet access, consider that the average connection on 4G is only 10 Mbps and on 3G is only 3 Mbps (and many rural areas only have 3G) http://www.pcworld.com/article/254888/3g_4g_performance_map_data_speeds_for_atandt_sprint_t_mobile_and_verizon.html

Neither of these access methods can provide broadband speed.  In fact, the real-life speeds are usually 1-2 Mbps in rural areas.  Based on FCC numbers, this access is fast enough to support up to 2 users doing light internet work (no HD streaming, no tele-conferencing, and no gaming) https://www.fcc.gov/guides/household-broadband-guide 

Compounding the problem is the economics of purchasing internet access.  In an urban area, multiple providers drive the price of broadband access down, but in a rural area, since there is usually only a single provider, the price can be astronomical.  For instance, in rural areas of Georgia, one can purchase 6 Mbps DSL service for ~$50.  But, in the closest city, that same ~$50 will buy 60 Mbps cable internet.

If our government is serious about education and providing equal opportunity to its citizens, it will subsidize broadband internet expansion throughout the rural US.  Access to resources outside of school is as significant a factor in educational achievement as what is provided at the school http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-education.aspx.