Key points:

• An ISTELive 23 session spotlights what district IT leaders are doing to ensure anytime, anywhere access and connectivity for all students
• Having the support of the superintendent is critical to any district trying to achieve a digital transformation
• See related article: High-speed internet is a basic necessity–not a luxury–when it comes to learning

Having reliable, high-speed internet access isn’t a privilege—it’s an absolute essential right for students if they are to have access to the digital learning resources and tools that will help them build skills for future success.

At ISTELive 23, Dr. Kiesha King, senior education administrator for T-Mobile and a former educator, sat down with educators in districts partnering with T-Mobile to examine how 5G connectivity is working in schools and districts across the nation.

“We’re not talking about doing something that’s optional for kids. We’re talking about changing the landscape of how they do education, changing the impacts of the future workforce, changing the way kids interact with their learning environment,” King said.

When we talk about student connectivity it has to be within the framework of how it’s going to drive overall student success, how can we align that with our district’s strategic plan and our instructional model, and grow that from there. What have you done with T-Mobile from an innovation perspective and where is it going in the future?

“I always say we live in the age of the connected students. Students who come to Morehouse College are already connected to 5 devices” including their TVs streaming, game systems, laptops, desktops, tablets, Apple watches, and cell phones, said Dr. Muhsinah Morris, Metaversity director and professor at Morehouse College. “They’re already really connected in every way to some network.”

Educational institutions across the United States are investing in digital technologies that, aside from transforming the learning experience, promise to improve campus operations, security and communications, and open the door to new e-services for students and staff. To realize the promise of digital transformation, schools at all levels (K-20) need solutions that can extend secure and reliable broadband connectivity campus wide.

Schools and higher educational institutions typically rely on Wi-Fi and Ethernet for connectivity. So, it’s no surprise that that many are upgrading or extending their Wi-Fi networks to prepare for digitalization. But Wi-Fi has limitations in important areas such as multi-user capacity, coverage, reliability, security, and mobility. It’s also prone to disruptions caused by interference and obstacles. These limitations could keep institutions from reaping the full benefits of broadband and digitalization.

Fortunately, there’s a better alternative. Private wireless networks (4.9G/LTE and 5G) enable institutions to use standardized cellular technologies and new spectrum options – including unlicensed spectrum in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band – to meet the stringent demands of digital applications. By complementing their existing Ethernet and Wi-Fi infrastructure with dedicated cellular connectivity, institutions can provide broadband connectivity for everyone and everything, and support a new generation of campus services.

A private wireless network offers better coverage than public mobile networks, particularly in rural areas. With private wireless, the institution owns or subscribes to it as-a-service and manages the network, which provides a critical connectivity foundation as part of the campus infrastructure.

Wireless connectivity for the digital campus and beyond

With a private wireless network, a school or institution can provide secure, high-performance connectivity for staff and students and power applications in every part of the campus, including:

• Classroom and digital productivity tools such as smart boards and smart podiums
• Safety and security systems such as cameras, smoke detectors, emergency call buttons and surveillance drones
• Communications applications such as VoIP/PBX, push-to-talk and push-to-video services
• Digital billboards that can display general, emergency or wayfinding information
• Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) classrooms that can be accessed remotely
• Enhanced connectivity for student residences, including affordable high-speed internet, emergency calling and smart home services
• E-services for dining, event ticketing, housing services, community engagement and more

Americans overwhelmingly believe that high-speed internet access is a basic necessity, according to a new survey from Kajeet. Additionally, this need for connectivity is not new, as nearly 75 percent of respondents believed high-speed internet was important even before the pandemic began more than two years ago. The survey also finds that 64 percent of U.S. adults are worried about their ability to pay for a high-speed internet connection at home, drawing attention to the opportunity gap and homework gap many students face.

The digital divide–the gap between people who have access to modern information and communications technology and those who do not – is a major issue. Access to the internet has become a necessity in almost all aspects of life today, including education, healthcare, remote work, etc. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), however, an estimated 14.5 million Americans lack home broadband access. For these 14.5 million people, not having access to the internet is a disadvantage.

High-Speed Internet is a Necessity, Not a Luxury

In the survey, 7 in 10 respondents (70 percent) said they agree with the statement “high-speed internet is a basic necessity,” with 37 percent saying they “strongly agree” and 33% saying they “somewhat agree.” Only 11 percent said they “somewhat disagree” or “strongly disagree.” When asked if they agree with the statement that governments (local, state, federal) should provide free high-speed internet connectivity to all Americans, 43 percent said they “strongly agree,” 29 percent said they “somewhat agree,” and 13 percent said they either “somewhat disagree” or “strongly disagree.”

Student Access to High-Speed Internet Was Critical Before the Pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world in 2020, the digital divide and the critical need for high-speed internet connectivity, especially for learning, became much clearer to many people. But this need existed well before the national health crisis. When asked how important or unimportant respondents felt that at-home, high-speed internet access was for K-12 students’ learning before the pandemic, an overwhelming majority (70 percent) of respondents said it was important. When asked the same question about the importance of high-speed internet connectivity for learning post-pandemic, the same number of respondents (70 percent) said it was important.

Yes, I Need It, but Can I Afford It?

While a majority of Americans (70 percent) said they believe high-speed internet is a basic necessity, more than 6 in 10 (64 percent) said they are worried about their ability to pay for a high-speed internet connection at home. When asked how worried they were, 27 percent said “very worried,” 37 percent said “somewhat worried.” When asked what three activities would pose the greatest struggle if they were to lose high-speed internet at home, 42 percent said business/work, 38 percent said healthcare, 35 percent said accessing smart home devices and systems and 35 percent said schoolwork.

As thousands of educators, entrepreneurs, and investors gathered at the recent ASU+GSV Summit, a growing number recognized both the need and opportunity for educational innovation in developing countries, particularly for the over 250 million children who lack access to schools.

But many of the solutions proffered still focus on internet-based solutions. Glaringly missing from the landscape are adaptive, digital learning solutions that are offline.

While we work to increase universal access to the internet, the edtech ecosystem cannot ignore the hundreds of millions of children currently without connectivity but who are eager to learn.

The offline opportunity

To illustrate this need and opportunity, consider the case of Africa.

The continent’s share of the global population is projected to grow from 17% in 2020 to 26% in 2050, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Dynamics. The need for scalable, effective, and tech-enabled learning will grow significantly as well, as there will be 450 million children born in Africa in the 2020s and more than 550 million in the 2040s.

The International Finance Corporation reports, however, that only 22% of Africans have access to the internet, and likely less than 5% of the most underserved children.

Even if these children could get access to the internet, most would find it cost-prohibitive to learn how to use it. That’s because the cost of data wouldn’t allow them to learn on these platforms, much less learn well—similar to how individuals in upper-income countries had internet access 15 years ago but weren’t using it to stream movies.

As a result, these children need an offline digital solution that adapts to the learning needs of the child.

“Access to world-class learning that is not dependent on internet connectivity, or the power grid, is key to serving hundreds of millions of children right now,” said Joe Wolf, CEO of the nonprofit Imagine Worldwide (where I am a board member).

Imagine Worldwide, which I’ve written about here before, partners currently with local organizations in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa to provide child-directed, tech-enabled learning that is accessible, effective, and affordable.

Schools are officially in the age of technological learning. There are 1:1 programs, hybrid classrooms, free online learning platforms, eLearning applications and assessments, video collaborations, and the expectation of more to come with developments in augmented and virtual reality technologies.

While useful, these technologies can come with challenges. This includes:

• A need for reliable internet connectivity,
• Ongoing maintenance, and
• Ongoing optimization

The good news is that schools have access to free funds that will address all of these challenges thanks to the E-rate program. Here’s how to use it to best support student and teacher success.

Reliable internet connectivity

First and foremost, schools need efficient, reliable, and optimized internet connectivity to support all technologies. Without this foundational support, there can be no eLearning. Since many devices and technologies need Wi-Fi, the E-rate application period is the time to optimize your wireless network.

Funds can be used to improve Wi-Fi performance in a number of ways. Eligible products and services fall under two categories. Category One consists of services that provide and support data transmission and/or Internet access. Installation and activation charges are included as eligible costs.

A simmering demand for reliable connectivity in education turned to a boil during the pandemic when the digital divide–something that many under-connected communities were already facing–exploded. This was felt drastically as the pivot to remote learning exposed a widening gap between students who have access to high-speed internet compared to those who do not.

While there are hopeful signs that the pandemic is waning, schools will continue to rely on solutions that support flexible learning moving forward. From extreme weather knocking districts offline to students trying to stay in the loop when they are stuck at home sick, consistent connectivity is a staple for today’s modernized “pencil box.” It ensures students have access to the resources they need–no matter the circumstances.

With a new school year approaching, and the education sector forever changed in the shadow of the pandemic, there is a growing expectation among students, parents, and government institutions to be better prepared for the future. But preparing for the unexpected is easier said than done. So just how can school districts ready themselves to ensure consistent and reliable connectivity no matter what?

The key to making it happen is to understand the value of emerging technologies and approaches that support enhanced connectivity, such as Private Cellular Networks (PCNs), and leverage the right relief programs that can support investments in these types of solutions to close the digital divide. Only then can schools begin to lay the foundation of reliable connections that students need to combat this growing divide in the face of any unforeseen challenge.

Meeting the Growing Demand for Reliable Connectivity

The pandemic revealed a number of reasons why education needs to be flexible, especially considering the limits that come with relying solely on in-person learning. As we look towards the future, schools will need to invest in connected technologies that allow this flexibility to exist.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disruption of a range of uniquely vital vertical sectors. This is especially true for K-12 and higher education as schools, colleges, and universities have been forced to close in order to slow the spread of the virus and find alternative, but technologically accessible, ways to reach students–literally.

With students, teachers and lecturers confined to their offices, homes, and dorm rooms to study and teach, many colleges and universities have come to realise that existing connectivity infrastructure just isn’t up to par. They may not understand why, but they know what they need. Question mark is: where to find it, and what to ask for?

Until 2019, really, the traditional means of acquiring connectivity via public or private Wi-Fi has demonstrated limitations, including an inability to efficiently cover large campuses and wide areas, and the dearth of offering security assurances schools and universities need from their networks. All this costs money. Meanwhile, costing even more money, public cellular networks are often a drain to run and, like Wi-Fi, cannot guarantee coverage, capacity, and security requirements, nor provide adequate control of network usage patterns.

So what’s the solution that covers better connectivity infrastructure and efficiency plus cost savings? While there’s been a lot of chatter about just how to solve this, private LTE is one of those buzz phrases that continues to pop up amongst educators and IT administrators, but there’s really been no roadmap. Until now.

Private LTE: What is it and how can it help address the burgeoning challenges in education?

Private LTE is a mobile broadband network deployed to serve a specific organization. It delivers dedicated access with security and managed policies ensuring that only authorized users are allowed to connect with their designated access profiles.

Today’s students, teachers, and administrative staff are facing unprecedented connectivity challenges as the 2020 school year brings more and more distance learning options. School districts’ commitment to the “no child left behind” mission takes on a new meaning with today’s technology and learning formats, as students must now have access to reliable, secure internet service in order to access all their educational opportunities. Such connectivity is now a requirement for all distance learning solutions currently being used, including e-campus portals and learning management solution platforms.

Students who don’t have access to high-quality internet service are at significant disadvantage compared to their connected peers. Furthermore, students who need to visit their school campus or other public facilities in order to obtain access to reliable connectivity risk exposure to COVID-19.

Related content: The challenges of online math instruction

Today, more than 9 million students lack proper access to reliable broadband internet at home, which creates obstacles for both the students and teachers. This, coupled with potential learning disabilities, households with multiple students and parents or guardians with language barriers, creates unprecedented challenges for the industry.

Shared spectrum initiatives as the answer

In January 2020, the FCC authorized commercial use of Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) connectivity, an initiative that broadly opens the use of the 3.5 GHz spectrum band for shared public and private use. This enables commercial users — e.g. school districts — to leverage a vast amount of invaluable underutilized mid-band spectrum. It provides a cost-effective and high-performance connectivity solution to make uncompromised 4G LTE- and 5G-quality connectivity readily available for education buildings, school campuses and district networks.

When the coronavirus pandemic forced students into remote learning this past spring, many telecommunications companies stepped up to offer free or deeply discounted home broadband access to families who couldn’t afford it. Now, those temporary offers have largely expired — and yet remote learning seems likely to continue in at least some capacity when school resumes this fall.

This raises key questions for K-12 leaders to resolve: How will students from low-income families connect to the internet to learn from home if they can’t attend school physically this fall? What role can school systems play in ensuring home broadband access for all students, given the budget crisis many districts will be facing next year?

Related content: What the pandemic has revealed about digital equity

The simplest solution would be for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to lift the restrictions barring E-rate recipients from using their networks to extend broadband service into students’ homes. However, this scenario isn’t likely to happen, according to John Harrington, CEO of the consulting firm Funds For Learning (FFL), which helps schools successfully apply for E-rate discounts.

Digital learning not only plays a crucial role in preparing today’s students for the jobs of tomorrow, it also has an important role in providing equity and access to education–especially in smaller and remote school districts. This makes access to adequate and reliable broadband even more important as the development of new technologies continues.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is now preparing to accommodate next-generation technologies such as 5G, virtual reality, robotics, and esports.

Related content: 7 things supporting broadband best practices

During a recent edWebinar, Christine Fox, SETDA’s deputy executive director, provided an overview of the opportunities and challenges schools and districts now face. Marc Johnson, executive director of East Central Minnesota Educational Cable Cooperative (ECMECC), then provided perspective from a regional and local level on the expanding use of broadband.

Broadband’s big picture

Fox started with an overview of the diverse approaches to providing educational broadband access across the U.S., with 28 states currently using statewide K-12 broadband networks, 9 states using regional networks, and 16 states using alternative methods such as purchasing consortia. What all these types of organizations share is a commitment to developing a modern, agile workforce comprised of lifelong learners who can grow along with evolving technologies.

Equitable, reliable, and robust broadband access both on and off campus is essential to support digital learning and prepare K-12 students for life and work.

The declaration is a cornerstone of Broadband Imperative III: Driving Connectivity, Access and Student Success, a new report from SETDA.

In addition to advocating for equitable broadband access, the report discusses innovative technologies and pedagogical approaches to personalize learning for all students.

Related content: 7 things supporting broadband best practices

Seventeen percent of teens don’t have reliable access to a device, meaning they can’t complete homework. It isn’t always feasible for students to borrow devices from schools, especially if the schools are in low-income areas with limited resources.

Comprehensive broadband planning is another must-have to meet the needs of teachers and students while avoiding a technology disruption. Because digital learning isn’t one-size-fits-all, school and district leaders have to work collaboratively to determine their teaching and learning needs and how broadband access supports those goals. Designing network capacity to support those goals, while also allowing for future growth, will ensure that digital learning needs are met.