Bandwidth Bibliography
Bandwidth Bibliography
Newly Added Resources
2015
2015
Broadband Progress Report
FCC
Broadband deployment in the United States – especially in rural
areas – is failing to keep pace with today’s advanced,
high-quality voice, data, graphics and video offerings, according
to the 2015 Broadband Progress Report adopted today by the
Federal Communications Commission.
Reflecting advances in technology, market offerings by broadband providers and consumer demand, the FCC updated its broadband benchmark speeds to 25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. The 4 Mbps/1 Mbps standard set in 2010 is dated and inadequate for evaluating whether advanced broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a timely way, the FCC found.
Using this updated service benchmark, the 2015 report finds that 55 million Americans – 17 percent of the population – lack access to advanced broadband. Moreover, a significant digital divide remains between urban and rural America: Over half of all rural Americans lack access to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service.
Reflecting advances in technology, market offerings by broadband providers and consumer demand, the FCC updated its broadband benchmark speeds to 25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. The 4 Mbps/1 Mbps standard set in 2010 is dated and inadequate for evaluating whether advanced broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a timely way, the FCC found.
Using this updated service benchmark, the 2015 report finds that 55 million Americans – 17 percent of the population – lack access to advanced broadband. Moreover, a significant digital divide remains between urban and rural America: Over half of all rural Americans lack access to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service.
BroadbandUSA: Connecting America’s Communities
Earlier description (2013 edition) below is current and it is the
primary address.
Is your school’s
Internet access fast enough for digital learning?
School Speed Test
Join thousands of colleagues across the nation to find out by
taking the school speed test. In less than a minute you’ll know
the speed of your school’s Internet access and the types of
digital learning it can support.
Public
schools lack of bandwidth needs attention
Carolyn Fox, Open Source, March 2014
The
Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) estimates
the US market for pre-K to 12th grade educational software and
digital content to be over $7.96 billion USD. Testing and
assessment comprise the largest category and a 35% growth rate
from last year.
Despite the money spent last year on educational software and digital content, most public schools are grappling to bridge the digital gap and struggling with bandwidth coverage. As the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District (the second largest school system in the country) considers buying 67,500 more iPads, only 208 out of 800 schools have the bandwidth to support its 1:1 iPad plan; that leaves 533 schools without the necessary bandwidth to be ready for online tests that will accompany national academic standards (the Common Core).
School districts across the country are scrambling. Read more…… Open tools like Nagios, Cacti, and Zabbix can help schools monitor networks, cut costs, and reduce the bandwidth bottleneck too.
Despite the money spent last year on educational software and digital content, most public schools are grappling to bridge the digital gap and struggling with bandwidth coverage. As the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District (the second largest school system in the country) considers buying 67,500 more iPads, only 208 out of 800 schools have the bandwidth to support its 1:1 iPad plan; that leaves 533 schools without the necessary bandwidth to be ready for online tests that will accompany national academic standards (the Common Core).
School districts across the country are scrambling. Read more…… Open tools like Nagios, Cacti, and Zabbix can help schools monitor networks, cut costs, and reduce the bandwidth bottleneck too.
“Internet
Infrastructure for America’s K-12 Students”
EducationSuperHighway.org
EducationSuperHighway is a nonprofit organization with the
mission of ensuring that every K-12 school in America has
reliable, high-capacity (100Mpbs) Internet access so they can
take advantage of the promise of digital learning. It is a team
of former business executives, tech engineers, educators and
philanthropists who are passionate about using skills, energy and
resources to help improve America’s public schools. Read their
four-point plan for upgrading America’s K-12 schools to 100Mbps
in seven years.
When Students Can’t Go Online
Terrance Ross, Atlantic Magazine, March 13, 2015
Nearly every school in America has some form of Internet
connectivity—but that alone doesn’t mean all kids have equal
access to the web.
Tim Berners-Lee, the British scientist credited with the creation of the Internet, insists that access to the World Wide Web should be recognized as a basic human right. Using that logic, if education is, as the UN states, “a passport to human development,” then Internet access is a right that should be extended to all schools. In America, that goal has largely been achieved.
Currently 99 percent of America’s K-12 public schools and libraries are somehow connected to the web, in large part thanks to the Federal Communications Commission’s congressionally mandated “E-Rate” program, which went into effect in 1998.
Read more to discover the current situation: According to the Obama administration, a typical school has about the same connection speed as the average American home but serves about 200 times as many users. Some schools even have to ration Internet time to students… How can this be changed?
Tim Berners-Lee, the British scientist credited with the creation of the Internet, insists that access to the World Wide Web should be recognized as a basic human right. Using that logic, if education is, as the UN states, “a passport to human development,” then Internet access is a right that should be extended to all schools. In America, that goal has largely been achieved.
Currently 99 percent of America’s K-12 public schools and libraries are somehow connected to the web, in large part thanks to the Federal Communications Commission’s congressionally mandated “E-Rate” program, which went into effect in 1998.
Read more to discover the current situation: According to the Obama administration, a typical school has about the same connection speed as the average American home but serves about 200 times as many users. Some schools even have to ration Internet time to students… How can this be changed?
Bandwidth Bibliography
2013
Federal Government
“ConnectED: President Obama’s Plan for Connecting All Schools to
the Digital Age”
The White House, Fact Sheet, June 6, 2013
President Obama has called on the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) to take the steps necessary to build high-speed
digital connections to America’s schools and libraries, ensuring
that 99 percent of American students can benefit from these
advances in teaching and learning. He is further directing the
federal government to make better use of existing funds to get
this technology into classrooms, and into the hands of teachers
trained on its advantages. President Obama is calling on
businesses, states, districts, schools and communities to support
this vision.
National Broadband Plan:
Connecting America — Broadband & Education
Federal Communication Commission, March 2010
On its website, the FCC asserts that broadband investment will
help us lead the world in 21st century educational innovation.
Here’s what the FCC is doing:
- Learning-On-the-Go: The FCC is launching a pilot
program that supports off-campus wireless Internet
connectivity
for mobile learning devices.
- Super-fast Fiber: The FCC’s new E-rate Order will help bring affordable, super-fast fiber connections to America’s
schools and libraries.
- School Spots: The FCC is also launching “School Spots” where schools have the option to provide Internet access
to the local community after students go home.
for mobile learning devices.
- Super-fast Fiber: The FCC’s new E-rate Order will help bring affordable, super-fast fiber connections to America’s
schools and libraries.
- School Spots: The FCC is also launching “School Spots” where schools have the option to provide Internet access
to the local community after students go home.
2010 E-Rate Program and Broadband Usage Survey: Report
This report presents data from the 2010 E-rate Program and
Broadband Usage Survey commissioned by the FCC and conducted by
Harris Interactive Inc. (Harris), an independent national
marketing research firm, from February to April 2010. The primary
goal of the survey was to collect data on the current state of
broadband connectivity for E-rate-funded schools and libraries
and to inquire into challenges related to broadband use that
recipients face now or will face in the future.
FCC Broadband Availability Map
The National Broadband Map (NBM) is a searchable and interactive
website that allows users to view broadband availability across
every neighborhood in the United States. The NBM was created by
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), in collaboration with the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), and in partnership with 50 states, five
territories and the District of Columbia. The NBM is part of
NTIA’s State Broadband
Initiative. The NBM is updated approximately every six months
and was first published on February 17, 2011.
Another version of the map is available at: http://www.fcc.gov/maps/broadband-availability.
Another version of the map is available at: http://www.fcc.gov/maps/broadband-availability.
“FCC Launches Update of E-Rate for Broadband in Schools and
Libraries”
Federal Communication Commission News Release, July 19, 2013
Links are provided to related FCC documents that explain the
procedure that will take place related to Broadband and Connecting America.
“Winning the Global Bandwidth Race: Opportunities and Challenges
for Mobile Broadband”
Remarks by Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman, October 4, 2012
This is a speech presented at Wharton College about the status of
mobile technology and related bandwidth. The nation has regained
global leadership in mobile. The task is to make sure that our
innovators and the American public have the infrastructure they
need to preserve and extend U.S. leadership in the global
broadband economy.
BroadbandUSA: Connecting
America’s Communities
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided the
Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) with $7.2 billion to
expand access to broadband services in the United States. This
site gives details on these investments. The Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program (BTOP) has been an integral part of
this program.
“The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and
Creating Jobs and Reforming Education”
U. S. Department of Education, March 7, 2009
As described on ED.gov, part of the 2009 stimulus package, The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides
approximately $100 billion for education, including bandwidth —
$7.2 billion for complete broadband and wireless Internet access.
While a cursory look does not mention bandwidth or broadband,
this part of www.ed.gov, The
Recovery Act: Success Stories in the States (Democratic
Policy Committee, Senate), provides details of the stimulus in
all states. Also, updates to ARRA do not mention the topics.
State Government
Connected Texas is an independent, public and private initiative
working to ensure that all can experience the benefits of
broadband. Technology, especially widespread access, use and
adoption of broadband, improves all areas of life. Connected
Texas seeks to change communities and lives across Texas.
Connected Texas is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates
as a non-profit in the state of Texas. It was commissioned by the
Texas Department of Agriculture to work with all broadband
providers in Texas to create detailed maps of broadband coverage
in order to accurately pinpoint remaining gaps in broadband
availability in the state. Connected Texas will continue to
develop and update the broadband data as they are collected and
the services that can be made available to public and private
entities as well as citizens.
The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12
Infrastructure Needs
Christine Fox, John Waters, Geoff Fletcher and Douglas Levin,
State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)
Given current trends and the real-world experiences of states and
leading districts, SETDA offers four recommendations for
policy-makers and school leaders committed to charting a course
for the future of K-12 education enabled by broadband.
- Move to address K-12 broadband infrastructure needs.
- Ensure broadband access for students and educators.
- Build state leadership.
- Advocate for federal funding.
- Ensure broadband access for students and educators.
- Build state leadership.
- Advocate for federal funding.
This comprehensive paper focuses on how to achieve these four
goals.
“OneNet Cloud
Services Offer Options for a Variety of IT Needs”
April Goode, OneNet: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
August 9, 2013
OneNet is Oklahoma’s telecommunications and information network
for education and government, utilizing fiber optics and wireless
technologies to transmit video, voice and data throughout
Oklahoma, the nation and the world. OneNet is not a state-owned
utility, but rather a state lead partnership among
telecommunications companies, equipment manufacturers and service
providers. It provides high-speed communications to a variety of
Oklahoma entities such as: public and vocational-technical
schools; colleges and universities; public libraries; local,
tribal, state and federal governments; court systems; rural
health care delivery systems; and programs engaged in research.
Non-governmental Organizations
Connected Nation believes that states, communities, families, and
individuals can realize great economic and social advantages when
they accelerate broadband availability in underserved areas and
increase broadband use in all areas, rural and urban, alike.
Connected Nation has been committed to provide extensive
broadband planning services for communities and states for more
than ten years. These services ranging from comprehensive
broadband mapping to public policy language. Connected Nation has
a number of services to serve communities and its citizens.
“Internet
Infrastructure for America’s K-12 Students”
EducationSuperHighway.org
EducationSuperHighway is a nonprofit organization with the
mission of ensuring that every K-12 school in America has
reliable, high-capacity (100Mpbs) Internet access so they can
take advantage of the promise of digital learning. It is a team
of former business executives, tech engineers, educators and
philanthropists who are passionate about using skills, energy and
resources to help improve America’s public schools. Read their
four-point plan for upgrading America’s K-12 schools to 100Mbps
in seven years.
EducationSuperHighway administers the National School Speed Test. Is your school’s Internet access fast enough for digital learning? Find out by taking the school speed test while on your school’s network. In less than a minute, you will know the speed of your school’s Internet access and the types of digital learning it can support.
The Quilt is the national coalition of advanced regional networks
for research and education, representing 31 networks across the
country. Participants provide advanced network services and
applications to over 200 universities and thousands of other
educational institutions. The goals are: to promote consistent,
reliable, interoperable and efficient advanced networking
services that extend to the broadest possible community; and to
represent common interests in the development and delivery of
advanced network services. The Quilt aims to influence the
national agenda on information technology infrastructure, with
particular emphasis on networking for research and education.
TechNet’s 2012 State Broadband Index
John B. Horrigan and Ellen Satterwhite, Technet, 2012
In this report, the TechNet State Broadband Index rates the 50
states on indicators of broadband adoption, network quality and
economic structure as a way of taking stock of where states
stand.
“Broadband
and Internet Policy”
Technet.org, 2013
Broadband is the foundation for continued technological and
economic leadership, and it is critical that the U.S. show
leadership in clearing roadblocks to broadband deployment and
adopting innovative policies to foster demand. TechNet continues
to work with the administration and Congress to ensure broadband
and Internet policies remain a priority for our nation. This Web
page outline six points related to achieving desired goal.
Relevant News Articles
“Top-Ten IT Issues, 2013: Welcome to the Connected Age”
Susan Grajek, EDUCAUSE Review Online, June 3, 2013
See Issue #1: Leveraging the Wireless and Device Explosion on
Campus.
Will the institution have adequate wireless access and Internet bandwidth to address wireless device density? Is ubiquitous network access a baseline or a highly desirable requirement? IT organizations have had to address network coverage, but the pure density of devices on campus and their bandwidth requirements cause new challenges.
Will the institution have adequate wireless access and Internet bandwidth to address wireless device density? Is ubiquitous network access a baseline or a highly desirable requirement? IT organizations have had to address network coverage, but the pure density of devices on campus and their bandwidth requirements cause new challenges.
“Education Advocates Hail FCC’s Plans To Modernize
E-Rate”
Leila Meyer, T.H.E. Journal, July 22, 2013
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has announced plans to review and modernize
the E-rate program
with the goal of increasing broadband capacity, maximizing
cost-effective purchasing and streamlining program
administration.
“FCC Begins
Writing Rules to Bring Ultrafast Broadband to Most Schools in
Five Years”
Paul Barbagallo, Bloomberg BNA, July 22, 2013
Schools and libraries could soon be connected to faster and
higher-capacity broadband service through the federal E-Rate
program under new rules that the Federal Communications
Commission officially began preparing July 19. The author
provides a concise explanation of how this will be unfolding.
“Forget MOOCs — Your Biggest Problem is Bandwidth!“
Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology digital magazine,
June 6, 2013
New applications, devices and modes of learning are responsible
for an ever-escalating bandwidth demand that colleges and
universities can’t afford to ignore. The article quotes Jorge
Mata of Los Angeles, who likens bandwidth to clogged LA freeways:
It’s not just knowing how many lanes there are on the route
you’re taking. “You’ve got to think about how quickly you can get
data from one place to another.”
