From the first consumer modems that reached the blistering speed of 56 kilobits per second to modern fiber based 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) connections, bandwidth is the measure of fast your device and receive data from a source on the internet. By definition, bandwidth is the maximum capacity of a network to transmit data over a connection in a given amount of time (Froehlich, 2021). What this means for the lay person is - How fast can I download something from the Internet?
Bandwidth is especially important in education as more devices are brought onto campuses and are used as part of the curriculum (SREB, 2018). Classrooms are becoming smarter (at least we think they are) each semester as the integration of technology becomes more prevalent. Institutions need to make sure that their networks can support the multitude of requests during the day.
Currently, the minimum standard, set in 2018, for K-12 levels of education is 1 Mb (Megabit) per student with a goal of at least 10 Mb or 1.25 megabytes per student in 2021. More bandwidth would allow for much more robust interaction, video collaboration, and sharing of information. (Educationsuperhighway.com, 2021). Furthermore, many schools have the necessary connections - 99% of all schools are connected through fiber but are not using its full potential. However, the capabilities are there to meet the 2018 requirements (Educationsuperhighway, 2019).
According to the FCC, expectations of bandwidth are based on the types of activities being used on campuses. Only 15% of schools met the 2018 goal of 1 mbps per student in mid 2017. Failure to meet these expectations in the future could result in students not having access to the emerging technologies.
With demand expected to increase by 50% each year, the need to invest in network infrastructure is of utmost importance in all aspects of education. What does this look like in the years to come, the graph below represents a 5 year growth starting from 100 mbps in year 1.
Bandwidth is essential to success of students as new technologies are introduced into classrooms such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Metaverse applications. These new applications will need tremendous amounts of bandwidth and resources. Emerging technologies will help instructors engage their students and create a personalized learning environment (SREB, 2018). All of this comes at a cost though, how much do institutions invest into technology which may or may not pan out? With technology changing so quickly, how far out do we try to predict and plan for?
Future Reference: https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/upgrade/k-12-bandwidth-goals/
Works Cited:
Education Superhighway (2019). 2019 State of States: The Classroom Connectivity Gap is Closed. Retrieved from https://3x4u3i1w2onf4vhj418itzm1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-State-of-the-States-Full-Report-EducationSuperHighway.pdf.
Education Superhighway (2021, October 26). K-12 bandwidth goals. EducationSuperHighway. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/upgrade/k-12-bandwidth-goals/
Froehlich, A. (2021, May 24). What is network bandwidth and how is it measured? SearchNetworking. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/bandwidth
Southern Regional Education Board. February 2018. 10 Issues in Educational Technology.
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