AT&T Helps Schools Meet Bandwidth Surge From Common Core State Standards
DETROIT (WWJ) -- States and K-12 school districts are turning to AT&T for networking services like ethernet to increase bandwidth speed in preparation for statewide online assessments associated with the Common Core State Standards, an initiative to standardize math and English curricula by the 2014-2015 school year.
With the use of technology increasing dramatically in classrooms as a result of mobile learning programs, 80 percent of school districts report that their broadband connections don't fully meet their current needs, according to an FCC report, "Measuring Broadband America." In many states, students will soon be required to take end-of-year tests through online portals, potentially putting a strain on school's internet capacity.
To help schools and school districts improve their broadband speeds and meet the increase in demand for bandwidth, AT&T is delivering secure, scalable networking services such as Switched Ethernet and Managed Internet Services. Ethernet provides a solid foundation that supports today's voice, video, data and communications applications but is flexible enough to accommodate learning technologies to meet tomorrow's demands.
According to the State Education Technology Directors Association, schools will need Wide Area Network connections of 1 Gbps per 1,000 students and staff by 2014-15.
Included in many educational projects is the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, which provides a wide range of services to support schools in Wayne County, where bandwidth has skyrocketed due to online testing, BYOD policies, digital textbooks and 1:1 learning programs.
To satisfy demand, Wayne RESA is working with AT&T to upgrade its capabilities by 1,000 percent -- expanding to 20 Gbps. The new bandwidth will ensure that educators and students can take advantage of a "Next Generation" e-learning approach.
"Technology is reshaping the 21st century classroom, from tablets and smartphones to online testing and videoconferencing," said John Irwin, AT&T Senior Vice-President of Government, Education and Healthcare. "Having a strong network infrastructure, backed by one of the world's most advanced and powerful global networks, is essential to successfully supporting the future of educational technology."
For more information about how AT&T is helping school districts meet bandwidth surges, visit www.att.com/edu.
