Schools and Broadband Speeds: An Analysis of Gaps in Access to High-Speed Internet for African American, Latino, Low-Income, and Rural Students

This report authored by Dr. John B. Horrigan, a leading authority on broadband adoption and use, shows that African American, Latino, low-income, and rural students are more likely to be in schools with slow Internet access (10 Mbps or less) than their peers and less likely to be in schools with high-speed broadband Internet (100 Mbps or more) needed for digital learning.

  • Students in heavily minority schools are half as likely to be in schools with high-speed internet as students in heavily white schools.
  • Low-income students are twice as likely as affluent students to have slow internet access at their schools.
  • Students in remote rural America are twice as likely as urban/suburban students to have slow internet access at their schools.

According to the analysis, 2.75 million low-income students either lack access to high-speed internet or are disproportionately represented among students with slow internet access. Also, students in remote rural areas are half as likely as students in large suburban areas to have access to high-speed internet.


Schools and Broadband Speeds: An Analysis of Gaps in Access to High-Speed Internet for African American, Latino, Low-Income, and Rural Students Schools and Broadband Speeds (read the report)