AUSTIN, TX – In Texas, 1.8 million households subscribe to broadband for schoolwork, according to a new report from Connected Texas, a subsidiary of Connected Nation that operates as a nonprofit in Texas. The report, “Providing Learning Anywhere: K-12 Education in Texas,†examines the importance of high-speed Internet in kindergarten through high school education across the state and concludes that nearly nine of 10 Texas households with children own a computer, and half 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.â€
Highlights of the report’s findings include:
• One million Texas adults say they first subscribed to broadband service because someone needed it for schoolwork.
• Texas households with children are 7 percent more likely to own a computer, 4 percent more likely to adopt home broadband service, and 9 percent more likely to use mobile Internet service compared with the state average.
• Half of Texas households with children use home Internet service for schoolwork.
• Four of 10 (44 percent) Texas households with children have a combination of desktop and laptop or tablet at home to access the Internet.
• Six of 10 (61 percent) use Internet at school for schoolwork.
Connected Texas is working to bridge the technology gap among all Texans to ensure everyone has access to the high-quality educational opportunities that broadband provides. The organization expects that increasing broadband usage among all Texans will pave the way for future economic growth and prosperity across the state.
