What do an algebra class, a client meeting, a doctor's appointment and a happy hour with friends have in common? In 2020, they all happen from home, sometimes at the same time, over a single internet connection.
In the U.S., significant disparities in access to high-speed internet existed across demographic and geographic groups before the pandemic – a gap known as the "digital divide".
As of 2019, a Pew Research Center survey found that only 56% of households making less than $30,000 a year had broadband internet, compared to 92% of households making $75,000 or more. And while 79% of white respondents had broadband at home, just 61% of respondents who identified as Hispanic, and 66% who identified as Black, did. Community type also made a significant difference. Only 63% of rural residents had home broadband, compared to 75% and 79% of those in urban and suburban areas, respectively.
As people stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, relying on the internet to stay connected with the world, the digital divide and its consequences are becoming more apparent.
In schools across the country, the move to full-time online learning has put the heaviest burden on students in disadvantaged and underserved communities.
In districts where 75% or more of students are from low-income families, 64% of school leaders report that "students' lack of technology access is a major challenge to teaching" during the pandemic – compared to only 21% of those in charge of districts with 25% or less low-income students.
All in all, coronavirus-related school closures have pushed 50 million students across the U.S. to learn from home. Of these students, 15 to 16 million (30%) don't have sufficient internet connectivity or devices for effective remote learning, and 9 million lack both internet and devices.
To ensure all students can fully participate in online learning, a school district can install its own private LTE cellular network.
These types of networks were just recently made possible when the FCC opened up access to a portion of wireless spectrum known as Citizens Broadband Radio (CBRS) to private operators.
Essentially, a school can install an LTE signal source on or near its own building, creating a new network that a student accesses with a computer or phone through a gateway device placed in the home.
Private LTE gives the school full control over its network and how it's used. For example, it can prioritize traffic from students over administrative use or school bus applications, and block gaming.
This type of network covers a greater area than Wi-Fi, and it's also more cost-effective in the long term than current solutions. Right now, many schools are spending about $40 a month per student to provide mobile hotspots from cellular carriers – which adds up to $480,000 annually for 1,000 students. That spend simply isn't sustainable over time, especially for the under-resourced districts where the digital divide is the most severe.
Funding is available for K-12 institutions through the federal CARES Act, which offers $13 billion in available funds to 133,000 eligible schools. Providing the technology to offer online learning to all students is a qualified use of these funds.
Higher education institutions may also be eligible for funding through the CARES Act. While it sets aside half of available funds for emergency assistance for students, the remaining money can be used for other "uses deemed essential" – like online learning technology.
Owning and operating a private LTE network gets students connected now, and also represents an investment in the future. Remote learning isn't just a pandemic-related temporary fix; 2.7 million K-12 students in the U.S. were already participating in some kind of digital learning as of 2019. And, when the pandemic ends, taking back the mobile hotspots allowing students in low-income families to participate in online learning for the first time would be not just unrealistic, but harmful. The "homework gap" – a symptom of the digital divide where students without broadband struggle to complete take-home assignments – was well-documented before the pandemic. Taking away connectivity would push these students back to square one. Instead, districts should focus on providing a permanent solution for internet access.
Ultimately, education is just one area where the digital divide is becoming apparent, and having a significant impact.
Imagine job hunting without being able to search Indeed, email a resume or participate in a video interview. Or trying to stay on top of medical check-ups in a rural area where the closest doctor is hours away, and your internet at home is too slow for a telehealth appointment.
While the coronavirus has accelerated the move online in spheres from education to employment, remote activities are far from a passing trend. For example, some large companies like Twitter have announced that they plan to operate a distributed workforce indefinitely. Similarly, it's likely that kids will no longer need to miss a day of school because of snow or the common cold – they can simply continue classes online, from home.
Access to reliable, high-bandwidth internet is becoming a key driver of equity, and private LTE offers a simple, cost-effective and long-term way to provide broadband access to underserved communities.
Graybar can provide an end-to-end solution to help you design, fund and roll out a private LTE network. Learn more and get in touch at graybar.com/wireless.
