3: Broadband & Digital Literacy

Complete Deployment of Broadband Digital Infrastructure to Provide Tools and Training to Improve Digital Literacy.

Other Information:

According to the National Broadband Plan, broadband is the great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century. While broadband availability has grown rapidly, approximately 100 million people do not use it at home due to cost, digital literacy and other reasons. Equally troubling is that approximately 14 million people do not have broadband infrastructure access. This digital exclusion compounds inequities for historically marginalized groups, imposes inefficiencies on our society and minimizes opportunities for superior education. Broadband can provide teachers with tools that allow students to learn the same course material more quickly, but there is a dearth of easily accessible digital educational content required for such opportunities. Broadband only provides value when offered in conjunction with devices, applications and content. Improved information flow makes it possible to develop and deliver higher quality educational products and services. While broadband infrastructure is a requirement for much more than the growth of STEM, accessibility is a critical requirement for addressing the challenges addressed in this paper. Broadband infrastructure underpins virtually every aspect of our 21st century educational system. If unavailable, students do not learn the digital literacy skills required for careers in the STEM fields. The following action items support the recommendation:

Stakeholder(s):

• Teachers

Objective(s):

3.1: Broadband Infrastructure

3.2: Content Standards

3.3: Broadband Solutions

3.4: Training

Content