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Dept of Innovation & Technology

Illinois K-12 Internet Connectivity @EdSuperHighway

Article – Thursday, May 5, 2016
k12-digitallearning

Illinois K-12 Connectivity

Twitter: @EdSuperHighway & @NatlGovAssoc

Websites: educationsuperhighway.org & National Governors Association

EdSuperHighway Report: Illinois Connectivity Report

Program Overview: Working together to upgrade all schools

Compare & Connect: K-12: Deliver a robust network to your teachers and students

Fiber Project: Working together to get fiber to your district

To boost classroom Internet connectivity, the State of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education, Department of Innovation and Technology, Illinois Century Network, and Learning Technology Centers have partnered with EducationSuperHighway to enable high-speed Internet access in classrooms across Illinois so that all students can take advantage of digital learning.

High-speed broadband is key to restoring our educational standing. To meet future demand, the typical school district will need to grow bandwidth at least threefold to support digital learning needs. EducationSuperHighway used the latest E-rate data to better understand the current state of K-12 connectivity in Illinois. Their findings indicated the following:

  • 31% of Illinois districts do not meet the 100 kbps per student connectivity target
  • 59% of students lack adequate broadband access to support digital learning
  • Up to 12% of Illinois schools lack scalable connections

The Illinois Century Network (ICN) is here to help ensure that all Illinois school districts have the Internet infrastructure needed to support digital learning. Contact your local Regional Technology Center (RTC) for more information.

About the ICN

Founded in 1997, the ICN is managed by the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and provides high-speed fiber optic broadband and IT services for K-12, higher education, public libraries, museums, state and local governments, and healthcare organizations. Since its creation, the ICN has remained at the forefront of technology and provides a secure, dependable and scalable network providing unsurpassed customer support for Illinois citizens.

RELATED RESOURCES

K-12 BROADBAND PROJECT

FORMS