Daniel Mollenkamp

The extra money that flowed from the federal government during the pandemic has left districts in New Mexico with a problem. The pandemic boosted internet access for students. That’s in part because school districts purchased devices with relief money. These days, around 285,000 students in the state have a school-issued device, says John Chadwick, digital equity coordinator for the New Mexico Department of Education.

The pandemic’s forced switch to remote instruction unlocked federal funding for K-12 schools, as the government made a temporary $190 billion jab available in the hopes that it would inoculate against the effects of COVID-19 on teaching and learning.

For the past couple of years, unrelenting change has come fast. New education technologies seem to flow out in an unstoppable stream. These often have consequences, from an increase in cheating on assignments enabled by prose-spewing chatbots, to experiments that bring AI into classrooms as teaching assistants or even as students. For some teachers and school leaders, it can feel like an onslaught.

While students around the country are back in school in person this year, the connection between education and high-speed internet hasn’t been severed. Students still turn in assignments online and interact with class material through learning management systems, and they may even stream their lessons. The support services that are becoming critical for education—from health screenings to tutoring sessions—are also often delivered online. And that means, more than ever, getting an education requires access to fast, reliable internet.

A satellite launch expected lin 2022 could expand the availability of high-speed internet for the nation’s students. The launch of ViaSat-3, a trio of ultra high capacity GEO satellites, is part of ViaSat's ambition to create a global network of high-capacity internet.