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NCTA: Have Broadband, Will Study

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Jose Mas

Below is a re-post of an article from the  The National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) blog. I encourage others to learn more about the importance of broadband and about initiatives stemming to help increase access to broadband throughout all communities, especially those that are underserved.

Have broadband, will study

Lisa Maxwell remembers when pencils, textbooks and a calculator were just about the only requisites students needed to get homework done. But Maxwell, who is Executive Director of the non-profitBoys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon (BGCCO), says success in and outside the classroom now depends on a new tool of student achievement: broadband Internet access.

“There is no way for a child to succeed anymore without it,” says Maxwell. “It’s not a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity. You have to have it.”

The problem is, too many kids don’t. And in Maxwell’s view, they’re at risk of being left behind in an education environment that’s increasingly tied to digital technology and information access.

To help, the BGCCOis teaming with the Central Oregon cable company BendBroadband in a program designed to narrow the digital divide for hundreds of students who attend a local Boys and Girls Club. BGCCO is working to identify at-risk kids, outfit their homes with computing equipment provided by BendBroadband, and sign them up for a steeply discounted ($9.95 a month) broadband access service BendBroadband is making available.

The program is one of hundreds of “Connect2Compete” initiatives.

[Read More →]

This entry was posted in Access and Adoption, Broadband, Digital Divide, Education and tagged broadband, broadband adoption, connect2compete, education, NCTA, The National Cable & Telecommunications Association. Bookmark the permalink. ← AT&T: A Leader in Technology and Inclusion Next Post →