There’s little doubt these days that, as a nation, we’re faced with enormous political uncertainty. But while our obsession with happenings in Washington is an essential exercise in public policy awareness, we can run the risk of ignoring the economic uncertainty that always lurks just above the horizon. Much of that uneasiness is warranted, and it stems from the pivotal role technology now plays in economic growth. Yet, such tension at the intersection of so much unpredictability and volatility in the modern world is very manageable. It all depends on how we adapt to the rapid change presented by technological advancement, and how we adapt to it collaboratively as communities, policymakers and governments. These dilemmas presented central themes during an important discussion in Indianapolis this past weekend. A standing-room-only convening of Black state legislators from across the country (there are nearly 700 of them throughout the United States, by the way), looked for guidance and fresh ideas on what we term “smart infrastructure.”
That dialogue — entitled “Moving into the Future: Building Smart Infrastructure” — showcased a healthy mix of various thought leaders and C-Suite-level practitioners in technology, energy and telecommunications, including myself. We underscored the urgent need to expand smart technology initiatives, all of us agreeing that maneuvering through this century demands a modernized energy grid and a dramatically expanded foundation of broadband.
When we discuss broadband, we must avoid the all-too-common trap of pop culture fascination with the latest, greatest digital toy or tool. Our devices can’t be as important as the foundational networks connecting them and how we use that technology for the greater good of collective progress and prosperity. As advanced as we’ve become, many of us are still left behind. Globally, the U.S. — with its $18 trillion economy — ranks ninth in broadband speed. When looking at low-income households with school-age children, the data appear worse: More than 31 percent of households with incomes below $50,000 and children ages 6–17 do not have high-speed internet access. A 2017 Wireless Broadband Alliance report shows 23 percent of urban residents and 28 percent of their rural peers completely unplugged from broadband due to lack of access and affordability.
Meanwhile, Pew Research found that only 73 percent of U.S. households had broadband service — and just 54 percent of African-Americans have broadband at home.
These are indicators that should be and can be 100 percent — with smart infrastructure. And we’re not just talking about smart cars, or smart houses, smart appliances and smart buildings — smart infrastructure is truly the multi-level preparedness strategy for the future that effectively eliminates stubborn disparities.
Those disparities routinely leave us with unsustainable education and economic gaps. The “digital divide” never went away; it now diminishes educational opportunity and erodes any chance our most disadvantaged children have at being competitive. This year, the FCC found more than 6.5 million K-12 students still lacking high-speed classroom access, along with more than 2,000 predominately rural schools.
Not expanding broadband aggravates a world dominated by the destructive dichotomy of haves and havenots. Nowhere is that more troubling, and in need of immediate help, than in our schools.
Public schools in wealthy neighborhoods, for example, are often filled with advanced technology while many of our nation’s urban and rural public schools are barely affording updated textbooks. Education, as an industry, tends to move more slowly in the adoption of technology than other industries. Some schools and districts have more because they are often the best-funded. Others are not, or can’t, because they aren’t receiving the support or funding necessary.
We still have time — but it hinges on the decisions we make now and how fast we execute them.
It can be done when policymakers and planners consider broadband just as much a part of core infrastructure as roadways, railways and airports. Doing so provides all students with access to a high-quality education regardless of where they live or the conditions they face. This is how we do it at K12 Inc., the education technology company where I serve as executive chairman: We partner with over 2,000 school districts and public schools nationwide in an ambitious effort to ensure innovative digital learning, blended learning programs and a diverse offering of educational products are accessible to every community, including schools serving predominantly Black students.
Parents want that, as do the elected officials who were gathering in Indianapolis. A Deloitte 2016 Digital Education Survey found 88 percent of parents and 84 percent of teachers want more at-home digital content to supplement what’s being taught in school; 74 percent of teachers believe technology increases learning opportunities outside the classroom.
The information superhighway by itself is not enough. Computers with up-to-date education software, classrooms with devices and software that connect to educators in other states and countries, and tools for parents to monitor and see what their children are doing are all necessary.
Learning leveraged by expanded broadband simply reaches more students, leaves fewer kids behind and prepares them for college and their shot at social mobility. That’s a future we should all support.
Nate Davis is executive chairman of K12 Inc., a technology-based education company and leading provider of online learning programs to schools across the U.S.
