CoSN’s 2022 Student Home Connectivity Study Highlights the Importance of Urgent Action to Eliminate the Digital Divide and Close the Homework Gap

In case you missed it, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) last week released the  2022 Student Home Connectivity Study and highlighted key findings that reinforce the importance of closing the broadband gap permanently as students without a reliable, affordable connection continue to fall behind their peers with broadband service, devices and skills.

According to the findings, “Addressing insufficient home internet connectivity must continue to be a priority for educators and policymakers; although students returned to school, there was more internet traffic outside of school hours than there was during school hours.” In fact, students accessed the internet outside of school hours more than 60 percent of the time, highlighting the need for students to be able to access broadband at home.

Closing the digital divide is important for the overall health of our education system and economy, but historically disadvantaged communities continue to face the challenges that come with being on the wrong side of the broadband gap. According to CoSN, “Large disparities persist among student subgroups around home connectivity, particularly by ethnicity and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.”

Last year, Congress invested $65 billion in resources targeting the digital divide through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To connect as many people as possible, especially students, as quickly and as equitably as possible, will require an all-of-the-above approach that ensures states and broadband providers have the flexibility needed to most-effectively design projects for different areas.

Lawmakers and federal agencies must also build on the momentum to permanently eliminate the digital divide by ensuring every American community has access to an affordable, reliable broadband connection and the digital devices and skills necessary for success in the 21st century economy and classroom.

See the 2022 Student Home Connectivity Study from CoSN HERE.

Learn more about how federal agencies can maximize the effectiveness of bipartisan infrastructure resources to eliminate the digital divide HERE.

Read more on Connect Americans Now (CAN) and our mission HERE.

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