High-Speed Broadband: A Need for Speed

Nearly all US schools are now connected to the Internet. However, slow connectivity is creating bottlenecks in schools, frustrating students and leaving them disarmed in the battle to stay competitive in the 21st century. Slow connectivity is imperiling the quality of U.S. K-12 education, while the rest of the world sets the pace technologically. In this article, the author discusses the issues surrounding high-speed Internet and broadband access in US schools. In the second section of this article, the author presents an interview with Deb Bonanno and Jayaram Balachander, senior Vice President of Product Design and chief technology officer (CTO), respectively, for Pearson School Technology, a division of Pearson Education (www.pearsoned.com). Their comments on some of the more compelling issues facing the educational community as it attempts to improve its Internet connectivity are presented.