To Pave the Way for Education Innovation, Schools and Libraries Need a “High-Fiber Diet”

[Commentary] Technology infrastructure isn’t really a sexy topic in education (even by policy wonk standards), but robust broadband infrastructure in schools is fundamental to the success of many of the most promising innovations in PreK-12 education.

To truly support next generation connectivity -- in other words, to make sure schools have enough bandwidth to actually use resources such as e-books, online courseware, HD videoconferencing, and more -- the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program should prioritize service standards and encourage investment in fiber infrastructure. While thankfully very few schools still rely on dial-up to access the Internet, the broadband infrastructure connecting most schools provides service that doesn’t meet their current needs, let alone what they’ll need in the future. With such low connectivity, for example, a school in Brooklyn would find it impossible to implement a 1:1 initiative that made use of resources like educational videos through Khan Academy (which recommends 1-1.5 Mbps per student device). If the FCC wants to help schools and libraries get that ConnectED, additional investments in infrastructure are needed. And the smartest investment is in fiber.