Connecticut School Districts Are Above the National Average When It Comes to School Internet Connectivity
CT Ranks Above National Average for School Internet Connectivity Provided By CEN
49% OF CONNECTICUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE AT 1 MBPS PER STUDENT
Hartford, Connecticut (March 24, 2021) – Connecticut school districts are doing better than much of the country when it comes to having the school internet connectivity needed for digital learning, according to data published by nonprofit Connected Nation through its Connect K-12 website.
“In Connecticut, we have taken on digital equity as the Brown v. Board of Education of our time,” said Gov. Ned Lamont. “Whether it is connecting students at home through our Everybody Learns initiative or providing virtually limitless broadband to schools through the flagship Connecticut Education Network, we are working to ensure all students have an equal opportunity for digital learning, in every home and classroom, every day.”
An overview of the state’s school district connectivity report can be found here: https://connectk12.org/states/CT. It tracks the progress Connecticut schools have made over the last four years in reaching the federally-recommended goal of 1 Mbps per student—a goal set by the Federal Communications Commission.
Right now, 49% of Connecticut school districts are meeting or exceeding that goal. Whereas only 47% of school districts nationwide are doing the same.
“The progress Connecticut school districts have made over the last four years is incredible. They’ve made the leap from 32% of school districts to nearly half meeting the recommendation,” said Emily Jordan, Vice President for Connect K-12. “That has been possible through a robust state network (the Connecticut Education Network) that provides safe, scalable internet connections in a cooperative model that has kept pricing level even as consumption has increased. State and school district leaders have taken proactive steps to ensure that more Connecticut school buildings have the internet connectivity needed to ensure teachers and students have the resources for digital learning. We applaud the schools for leveraging their federal E-rate dollars to do more for K-12 education in the state.”