How fiber internet can improve education
At the start of 2020, the connection between the internet and learning was already clear. Many American students already used the web to complete their homework online. By the middle of 2020, when COVID-19 forced school districts to shutter their buildings, school itself became a fully online experience. Having high-speed broadband at home became more than a convenience. It was a necessity.
While the world may have reopened, broadband for education is as important now as it was then. Students do much more than homework online. They use broadband to conduct research, collaborate on projects, share large files, and more. They know what to do with fast internet; they just need access to it. And when it comes to reliable, high-speed broadband, nothing beats fiber.
Read on to learn how fiber internet can improve learning outcomes for students everywhere.
How does the internet improve education?
All internet connections are not created equal. Some internet is better than none, of course. But high-speed broadband can have a huge impact on student achievement. According to the National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), doing homework online is no longer enough. When students can use technology to “create, design, build, explore, and collaborate,” they have a big advantage over students who don’t. Getting the most out of technology requires fast, reliable broadband.
Studies show that fiber offers advantages over other forms of broadband for education. Fiber broadband can help:
- Increase schools’ passing rates on standardized tests
- Increase elementary school passing rates
Those results are consistent across location, ethnicity, and gender. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from: fiber broadband can help students do better.
How the internet has changed learning
Learning is no longer confined to the walls of the classroom. Increased connectivity has changed the way we learn by offering:
- Access to knowledge: Students can supplement what they learn in class with academic publications, online courses, and more.
- Collaborative learning: Video conferencing, document sharing, and online discussion forums help students learn from each other — and from anywhere.
- Personalized learning: Students can use adaptive platforms that work with their individual learning styles.
- Cultural exchange: The internet allows students to communicate across cultures like never before.
Fiber access can also improve achievement in indirect ways. High-speed internet access can increase parental employment rates, which can directly affect students’ test scores. Students with broadband access are also more likely to plan for postsecondary education. That can improve their lifetime earning potential.
How to get better internet at school (and at home)
About 99 percent of American schools already have fiber broadband for education. Still, there’s work to be done. Statistically speaking, more than half a million public school students still may not have fiber broadband at school.
Besides fiber-optic cable, schools need web servers, Ethernet cables, and WiFi routers. Smaller, rural districts are less likely to have that infrastructure. The cost per student can also be greater in small districts. Thankfully, there are several solutions available.
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has a program called E-rate, also known as the Schools and Libraries Program. E-rate provides eligible schools and libraries with discounts for:
- Internet access
- Internal connections
- Managed internal broadband services
- Basic infrastructure maintenance
School districts can also build public-private partnerships with local businesses and nonprofit organizations. In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the school district did just that. By aggregating demand, they secured affordable fiber not just for the schools, but for the entire community.
Fiber broadband for education is also becoming more affordable. The median cost per megabit per student has dropped steadily for years. That means students can use greater bandwidth at a lower cost than ever before.
Home internet and learning: bridging the digital divide
School isn’t the only place students need broadband for education. To take full advantage of learning technologies, students also need high-speed internet at home. Nearly 12 percent of American homes still don’t have a broadband connection. By some estimates, 15 to 16 million students in grades K-12 are at a disadvantage. Fifty percent of those students come from lower-income households.
That means millions of students often can’t complete their homework. Many have to use public WiFi, which can put their safety at risk. (Public WiFi is far less secure than a fixed broadband connection like fiber.)
Luckily, there are organizations like Digital Bridge that help districts identify students in need of broadband access. Many communities are working to bring fiber broadband to rural and urban areas. By doing so, they also make fiber more affordable. Because multiple internet service providers (ISPs) can share the same fiber lines, service prices become more competitive.
Fiber broadband for education can make all the difference
The internet has changed the way we learn. As we expand broadband access, it’s important to remember that the quality of our connections matters just as much as their quantity. Fiber offers educational benefits that no other technology can match. To learn more about fiber broadband for education, visit our website.
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