Access to Broadband is Essential for Texas Students
Charles is Director of External & Legislative Affairs for AT&T Texas. He works on public policy issues at the local and state level, including accelerating access to high-speed internet for all Texans. Charles is a United States Navy veteran, University of Houston graduate and a Professional Member of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu.
It’s “Back to School” time across Texas and with that comes various reactions. For some it’s excitement as they dive back into learning and for others it’s disappointment as the summer fun begins to fade.
Regardless of which camp the students in your life may be in, we know that technology plays an ever-increasing role in education. Whether it’s educational videos, online tutoring, or college preparatory classes, access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity for the success of our students & teachers.
According to a 2020 survey of Texas educators, one in every six Texas public school students does not have access to high-speed internet. Lack of access to high-speed internet can cause students to struggle with digital learning - an issue known as the homework gap. Even universities & colleges had to get creative to overcome the barrier their students faced when classes suddenly went virtual during the pandemic and yet not everyone had high-speed internet readily available. As highlighted by the pandemic, reliable & cost-effective broadband is key to staying connected & giving our students & teachers an open door to unmatched educational resources.
Broadband availability & access don’t always equal adoption. According to the Texas Broadband Development Office, some urban areas with broadband availability still have a high number of households that don’t subscribe to the service. At AT&T we looked at all the facts as we strategized about what the future of broadband could and should look like and ultimately what role we could play in seeing that future become a reality. If cost is a barrier, we want to do our part to make that barrier disappear and support getting students & their families connected.
By now you’ve probably heard about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), but what you may not know is that when eligible households combine the ACP benefit with the new Access from AT&T rate plan, Texans can receive internet service at the best price possible - $0!
AT&T is committed to making reliable internet access as affordable as possible. Access from AT&T includes free installation and in-home Wi-Fi, no equipment fees, no annual contract, and no deposit for $30/mo. or less.
It takes everyone working together to ensure access & affordability of reliable, high-speed internet. The private sector can certainly do its part, but we can’t do it alone.
On the public policy & legislative side, we would encourage discussion around additional funding for broadband deployment. While federal funding is a key part of this partnership, we know that federal investments are not enough. On a state level, this could include:
1. Focusing on transparency by utilizing existing competitive bidding and procurement laws when allocating funds for broadband,
2. Focusing on projects that serve the end-user consumer, that is projects that build out to the last mile, not middle miles that serve no one,
3. Following Treasury Guidelines, this means a focus on fiber and symmetrical speeds starting at 100/100 Mbps, and
4. Focusing on public/private partnerships vs government owned networks.
Texas made great progress during the last legislative session to advance broadband deployment in our communities, but there is still more work to be done.
By investing & maximizing local, state, and federal dollars, Texas will be better positioned to bridge the digital divide and ultimately get more Texans, including our students, connected to the future.
