Recent News // News Release: New Report Shows Surge of Online Learning in Texas
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
1.8 Million Texas Households Subscribe to Broadband for Schoolwork
Austin, TX – Today, Connected Texas is releasing a new report that carefully examines the importance of high-speed Internet in kindergarten through high school education across the state. The report, titled Providing Learning Anywhere: K-12 Education in Texas, reveals nearly nine out of ten Texas households with children own a computer and half of those homes subscribe to Internet service so schoolwork can be done online.
“The importance of online learning continues to grow at a rapid pace here in Texas,” says Connected Texas Executive Director Don Shirley. “This report confirms the fundamental importance of making broadband and digital literacy training available to everyone. High-speed Internet access plugs Texans into limitless educational opportunities and those without broadband access and computer skills are in danger of being left behind in our rapidly progressing digital world.”
Here are some highlights of the report’s findings:
- 1 million Texas adults say they first subscribed to broadband service because someone needed it for schoolwork.
- Texas households with children are 7% more likely to own a computer, 4% more likely to adopt home broadband service, and 9% more likely to use mobile Internet service compared to the state average.
- Half of Texas households with children use home Internet service for schoolwork.
- 4 out of 10 (44%) Texas households with children have a combination of desktop and laptop or tablet at home to access the Internet.
- 6 out of 10 (61%) use Internet at school for schoolwork.
Connected Texas is actively working to bridge the technology gap among all Texans to ensure everyone has access to the high quality educational opportunities that broadband provides. Increasing broadband usage among all Texans now will pave the way for future economic growth and prosperity across the entire state.
Anyone with an interest in bringing better broadband to local homes, businesses, and mobile devices is encouraged to join in the Connected Texas community planning effort. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Executive Director Shirley at [email protected] or (512) 660-2006.
# # #
About Connected Texas: Connected Texas is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates as a non-profit in the state of Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture is leading the initiative to increase broadband Internet access, adoption, and use across the state. Connected Texas was commissioned by the state to work with all Texas broadband providers to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and development of a statewide plan for the deployment and adoption of broadband. For more information visit: http://www.connectedtx.org.
Also follow Connected Texas on Facebook and Twitter.