Pew Internet Project latest report on the state of at-home broadband access

This information just in from Andy Carvin...

The Pew Internet Project just released their latest
report on the state of at-home broadband access in the
US:

http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/217/report_display.asp

Among the findings:

* African Americans: 40% of now have broadband at
home, up by 8 percentage points from 2006.

* Rural Americans: 31% of those living in rural
areas have broadband at home, up 6 percentage points
from 2006.

* Low income households, that is, adults who
report living in households with annual household
incomes under $30,000 annually: 30% of those in this
group report having broadband at home, up by 9
percentage points the prior year and matching the
end-of-2005 national average.

Read Andy's post here:

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/07/got_broadband.html

Comments

[TeachMoore]

While these numbers are encouraging in that the gap is closing, it is still distressing that well over half of African Americans and rural residents do not have broadband access, and from the study, are still not using the Internet to the extent that their peers do. For both groups, one of the key access points to the Internet is in the schools. What we do there to increase both access and skill in using these resources is critical.

[Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach]

I am in absolute agreement with you Renee. If teachers want a reason to embrace digital literacy, that is it. If these kids do not get access in our classrooms-- then we are actually part of their struggle to succeed.