Schools need affordable and reliable internet to prepare students for their digital future. However, many schools continue to struggle to meet the broadband demands of today, let alone tomorrow. In an article published by the Benton Foundation, Susan Bearden, the Digital Equity Project Director for the Consortium for School Networking, discusses the surprising findings of how schools are using an average of 373 GB of data per month of EBS mobile broadband service to address connectivity challenges both in and out of the classroom.
The article also shares new data on how a CAI-led, digital inclusion program, Bridging the Gap, is helping low-income families with school-age students achieve high educational outcomes such as:
- 94% of parents say they are better suited to support their children academically
- 54% of parents say their children are spending more than four hours a week doing homework online in the safety of their own homes
- 95% of parents are now communicating with their child’s teacher regularly.
Susan points out while a high-speed wired connection continues to be the goal for all schools, many continue to face barriers such as affordability and access. EBS mobile broadband can be a viable, interim solution if it offers enough data.
This article was published in a series of articles highlighting Mobile Beacon’s research. You can find the other articles here and Mobile Beacon’s research here. Interested in learning more about how you can become a Bridging the Gap partner and provide affordable technology to your community? Click here!
