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'Homework gap' shows millions of students lack home internet

Image: Graham Stidham asks his father, East Webster High School Assistant Principal Corey Stidham, to use the internet as his brother, Miles, finishes a game at the school in Maben, Mississippi, on May 8. 2019.

HARTFORD, Conn. — With no computer or internet at home, Raegan Byrd's homework assignments present a nightly challenge: How much can she get done using just her smartphone?

On the tiny screen, she switches between web pages for research projects, losing track of tabs whenever friends send messages. She uses her thumbs to tap out school papers, but when glitches keep her from submitting assignments electronically, she writes them out by hand.

"At least I have something, instead of nothing, to explain the situation," said Raegan, a high school senior in Hartford.

She is among nearly 3 million students around the country who face struggles keeping up with their studies because they must make do without home internet. In classrooms, access to laptops and the internet is nearly universal. But at home, the cost of internet service and gaps in its availability create obstacles in urban areas and rural communities alike.

In what has become known as the homework gap, an estimated 17% of U.S. students do not have access to computers at home and 18% do not have home access to broadband internet, according to an Associated Press analysis of census data.

Until a couple of years ago, Raegan's school gave every student a laptop equipped with an internet hot spot. But that grant program lapsed. In the area surrounding the school in the city's north end, less than half of households have home access.

School districts, local governments and others have tried to help. Districts installed wireless internet on buses and loaned out hot spots. Many communities compiled lists of wi-fi-enabled restaurants and other businesses where children are welcome to linger and do schoolwork. Others repurposed unused television frequencies to provide connectivity, a strategy that the Hartford Public Library plans to try next year in the north end.

Some students study in the parking lots of schools, libraries or restaurants — wherever they can find a signal.

The consequences can be dire for children in these situations, because students with home internet consistently score higher in reading, math and science. And the homework gap in many ways mirrors broader educational barriers for poor and minority students.

Students without internet at home are more likely to be students of color, from low-income families or in households with lower parental education levels. Janice Flemming-Butler, who has researched barriers to internet access in Hartford's largely black north end, said the disadvantage for minority students is an injustice on the same level as "when black people didn't have books."

Raegan, who is black, is grateful for her iPhone, and the data plan paid for by her grandfather. The honors student at Hartford's Journalism and Media Academy tries to make as much progress as possible while at school.

"On a computer — click, click — it's so much easier," she said.

Classmate Madison Elbert has access to her mother's computer at home, but she was without home internet this spring, which added to deadline stress for a research project.

"I really have to do everything on my phone because I have my data and that's it," she said.

Administrators say they try to make the school a welcoming place, with efforts including an after-school dinner program, in part to encourage them to use the technology at the building. Some teachers offer class time for students to work on projects that require an internet connection.

English teacher Susan Johnston said she also tries to stick with educational programs that offer smartphone apps. Going back to paper and chalkboards is not an option, she said.

"I have kids all the time who are like, 'Miss, can you just give me a paper copy of this?' And I'm like, 'Well, no, because I really need you to get familiar with technology because it's not going away,'" she said.

A third of households with school-age children that do not have home internet cite the expense as the main reason, according to federal Education Department statistics gathered in 2017 and released in May. The survey found the number of households without internet has been declining overall but was still at 14 percent for metropolitan areas and 18 percent in nonmetropolitan areas.

A commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, Jessica Rosenworcel, called the homework gap "the cruelest part of the digital divide."

In rural northern Mississippi, reliable home internet is not available for some at any price.

On many afternoons, Sharon Stidham corrals her four boys into the school library at East Webster High School, where her husband is assistant principal, so they can use the internet for schoolwork. A cellphone tower is visible through the trees from their home on a hilltop near Maben, but the internet signal does not reach their house, even after they built a special antenna on top of a nearby family cabin.

A third of the 294 households in Maben have no computer and close to half have no internet.

Her 10-year-old son, Miles, who was recently diagnosed with dyslexia, plays an educational computer game that his parents hope will help improve his reading and math skills. His brother, 12-year-old Cooper, says teachers sometimes tell students to watch a YouTube video to help figure out a math problem, but that's not an option at his house.

On the outskirts of Starkville, home to Mississippi State University, Jennifer Hartness said her children often have to drive into town for a reliable internet connection. Her daughter Abigail Shaw, who does a blend of high school and college work on the campus of a community college, said most assignments have to be completed using online software, and that she relies on downloading class presentations to study.

"We spend a lot of time at the coffee shops, and we went to McDonald's parking lot before then," Abigail said.

At home, the family uses a satellite dish that costs $170 a month. It allows a certain amount of high-speed data each month and then slows to a crawl. Hartness said it's particularly unreliable for uploading data. Abigail said she has lost work when satellites or phones have frozen.

Raegan says she has learned to take responsibility for her own education.

"What school does a good job with," she said, "is making students realize that when you go out into the world, you have to do things for yourself."

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Bridging the Homework Gap with Secure, Reliable Connectivity

High-speed internet and technology have played an increasingly large role in student success over the past few decades. These resources are necessary for students to complete homework, conduct research, communicate to teachers, and stay informed about academic requirements.

The pandemic has pushed over 50 million U.S. K–12 students from the traditional classroom to virtual classrooms almost overnight, with little time for schools to plan and even less clarity for families about what might happen next. Although many schools were able to distribute Chromebooks or tablets to students who did not have adequate devices for online education, students who live in rural areas or come from low-income families cannot have an effective distance learning experience at home due to the lack of adequate broadband access or affordable services.

While schools began re-opening and/or will offer hybrid models for learning, the homework gap among students is still far from resolved. This is a big challenge for schools across 50 states to enable students with equality in education regardless of their locations, race, or family income.

Without adequate devices and high-speed internet access, some students are completely left behind. Fortinet and Linksys have partnered to help address this issue with the introduction of the Linksys HomeWRK for Education secured by Fortinet .

The Homework Gap and Inadequate Broadband Connections

The homework gap refers to the barriers that students face when working on homework assignments without a reliable internet source at home. According to a recent report from Common Sense Media in 2021, there are 15 to 16 million children in U.S. K–12 schools who lack adequate home internet access. School-age children in lower-income households and/or rural areas are especially likely to lack internet access. This digital divide is particularly pronounced in Black, Hispanic, and Native American households.

Additionally, according to research from Michigan State University, in 2020, 82% percent of students in grades 8–11 reported that they often received homework requiring internet access. Those who have no internet access from home often took longer to complete their homework, spending an average of 30 additional minutes on assignments per night, compared to their peers who have high-speed internet access. The same research also showed that students with fast home internet access report an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.18. This is significantly higher than the 2.81 GPA for students with no access. As a result, the lack of adequate internet connection has shown to impact student performance.

Increasing Cyberattacks in Schools Due to Insecure Access

While many schools struggle to adopt to the rapid shift to remote learning due to the pandemic, a troubling trend was on the rise—a surge in cybersecurity attacks. A report from the nonprofit K–12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) found 498 cyberattacks against U.S. public schools in 2020, an 18% increase over 2019. Forty-five percent of the disclosed incidents were due to malware, email invasion, and website and social media defacement. One of the primary contributions to these increasing security threats was the insecure access coming from the uptick of Chromebooks and devices that enable students to access remote instruction and digital learning tools.

Reliable and Affordable Linksys and Fortinet Deliver HomeWRK for Education

Fortinet has partnered with Linksys, combining the expertise in cybersecurity and broadband connectivity, to help schools bridge the homework gap with the new Linksys HomeWRK for Education secured by Fortinet . Using the latest security and web-filtering technology from Fortinet, this affordable solution delivers reliable broadband access with nationwide coverage. Schools can easily distribute the provision-free hardware with simple data plans to students who need fast-speed internet connections at home, so they can complete homework and stay on top of their learning requirements for better academic performance.

Broadband connection with broader coverage and stronger signal . Linksys HomeWRK for Education secured by Fortinet is connecting with major service providers to provide underprivileged students the best broadband connection and service in their areas, without the struggle of unreliable connections from one carrier.
CIPA-ready solution with advanced security and web filtering . Linksys HomeWRK is protected by the latest Fortinet security technology to intelligently filter inappropriate content and harmful malware. This secure solution helps schools meet the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliance requirements with safe internet access for what matters to students.
Zero touch provisioning devices requires no IT effort . Linksys HomeWRK secured by Fortinet for Education helps simplify students’ onboarding process by offering easy plug-and-play devices with pre-activated Linksys Mobile data plans. Schools can easily roll out the solution to students and have the connection up at their homes in minutes, without IT’s physical involvement.
Paid by federal funding programs. The Linksys HomeWRK solution’s hardware and subscription plans are qualified for many eligible government grants, including Emergency Connect Fund (ECF), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER I, II, III) fund, and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding.

Learn how Linksys HomeWRK for Education | Secured by Fortinet helps schools close the homework gap and provides student equity to education with reliable and secure internet access.

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Is Homework Necessary? Education Inequity and Its Impact on Students

The Problem with Homework: It Highlights Inequalities

How much homework is too much homework, when does homework actually help, negative effects of homework for students, how teachers can help.

Schools are getting rid of homework from Essex, Mass., to Los Angeles, Calif. Although the no-homework trend may sound alarming, especially to parents dreaming of their child’s acceptance to Harvard, Stanford or Yale, there is mounting evidence that eliminating homework in grade school may actually have great benefits , especially with regard to educational equity.

In fact, while the push to eliminate homework may come as a surprise to many adults, the debate is not new . Parents and educators have been talking about this subject for the last century, so that the educational pendulum continues to swing back and forth between the need for homework and the need to eliminate homework.

One of the most pressing talking points around homework is how it disproportionately affects students from less affluent families. The American Psychological Association (APA) explained:

“Kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, internet connections, dedicated areas to do schoolwork and parents who tend to be more educated and more available to help them with tricky assignments. Kids from disadvantaged homes are more likely to work at afterschool jobs, or to be home without supervision in the evenings while their parents work multiple jobs.”

[RELATED] How to Advance Your Career: A Guide for Educators >>

While students growing up in more affluent areas are likely playing sports, participating in other recreational activities after school, or receiving additional tutoring, children in disadvantaged areas are more likely headed to work after school, taking care of siblings while their parents work or dealing with an unstable home life. Adding homework into the mix is one more thing to deal with — and if the student is struggling, the task of completing homework can be too much to consider at the end of an already long school day.

While all students may groan at the mention of homework, it may be more than just a nuisance for poor and disadvantaged children, instead becoming another burden to carry and contend with.

Beyond the logistical issues, homework can negatively impact physical health and stress — and once again this may be a more significant problem among economically disadvantaged youth who typically already have a higher stress level than peers from more financially stable families .

Yet, today, it is not just the disadvantaged who suffer from the stressors that homework inflicts. A 2014 CNN article, “Is Homework Making Your Child Sick?” , covered the issue of extreme pressure placed on children of the affluent. The article looked at the results of a study surveying more than 4,300 students from 10 high-performing public and private high schools in upper-middle-class California communities.

“Their findings were troubling: Research showed that excessive homework is associated with high stress levels, physical health problems and lack of balance in children’s lives; 56% of the students in the study cited homework as a primary stressor in their lives,” according to the CNN story. “That children growing up in poverty are at-risk for a number of ailments is both intuitive and well-supported by research. More difficult to believe is the growing consensus that children on the other end of the spectrum, children raised in affluence, may also be at risk.”

When it comes to health and stress it is clear that excessive homework, for children at both ends of the spectrum, can be damaging. Which begs the question, how much homework is too much?

The National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association recommend that students spend 10 minutes per grade level per night on homework . That means that first graders should spend 10 minutes on homework, second graders 20 minutes and so on. But a study published by The American Journal of Family Therapy found that students are getting much more than that.

While 10 minutes per day doesn’t sound like much, that quickly adds up to an hour per night by sixth grade. The National Center for Education Statistics found that high school students get an average of 6.8 hours of homework per week, a figure that is much too high according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is also to be noted that this figure does not take into consideration the needs of underprivileged student populations.

In a study conducted by the OECD it was found that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance .” That means that by asking our children to put in an hour or more per day of dedicated homework time, we are not only not helping them, but — according to the aforementioned studies — we are hurting them, both physically and emotionally.

What’s more is that homework is, as the name implies, to be completed at home, after a full day of learning that is typically six to seven hours long with breaks and lunch included. However, a study by the APA on how people develop expertise found that elite musicians, scientists and athletes do their most productive work for about only four hours per day. Similarly, companies like Tower Paddle Boards are experimenting with a five-hour workday, under the assumption that people are not able to be truly productive for much longer than that. CEO Stephan Aarstol told CNBC that he believes most Americans only get about two to three hours of work done in an eight-hour day.

In the scope of world history, homework is a fairly new construct in the U.S. Students of all ages have been receiving work to complete at home for centuries, but it was educational reformer Horace Mann who first brought the concept to America from Prussia.

Since then, homework’s popularity has ebbed and flowed in the court of public opinion. In the 1930s, it was considered child labor (as, ironically, it compromised children’s ability to do chores at home). Then, in the 1950s, implementing mandatory homework was hailed as a way to ensure America’s youth were always one step ahead of Soviet children during the Cold War. Homework was formally mandated as a tool for boosting educational quality in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education, and has remained in common practice ever since.

School work assigned and completed outside of school hours is not without its benefits. Numerous studies have shown that regular homework has a hand in improving student performance and connecting students to their learning. When reviewing these studies, take them with a grain of salt; there are strong arguments for both sides, and only you will know which solution is best for your students or school.

Homework improves student achievement.

Source: The High School Journal, “ When is Homework Worth the Time?: Evaluating the Association between Homework and Achievement in High School Science and Math ,” 2012.
Source: IZA.org, “ Does High School Homework Increase Academic Achievement? ,” 2014. **Note: Study sample comprised only high school boys.

Homework helps reinforce classroom learning.

Source: “ Debunk This: People Remember 10 Percent of What They Read ,” 2015.

Homework helps students develop good study habits and life skills.

Sources: The Repository @ St. Cloud State, “ Types of Homework and Their Effect on Student Achievement ,” 2017; Journal of Advanced Academics, “ Developing Self-Regulation Skills: The Important Role of Homework ,” 2011.
Source: Journal of Advanced Academics, “ Developing Self-Regulation Skills: The Important Role of Homework ,” 2011.

Homework allows parents to be involved with their children’s learning.

Parents can see what their children are learning and working on in school every day.
Parents can participate in their children’s learning by guiding them through homework assignments and reinforcing positive study and research habits.
Homework observation and participation can help parents understand their children’s academic strengths and weaknesses, and even identify possible learning difficulties.
Source: Phys.org, “ Sociologist Upends Notions about Parental Help with Homework ,” 2018.

While some amount of homework may help students connect to their learning and enhance their in-class performance, too much homework can have damaging effects.

Students with too much homework have elevated stress levels.

Source: USA Today, “ Is It Time to Get Rid of Homework? Mental Health Experts Weigh In ,” 2021.
Source: Stanford University, “ Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework ,” 2014.

Students with too much homework may be tempted to cheat.

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, “ High-Tech Cheating Abounds, and Professors Bear Some Blame ,” 2010.
Source: The American Journal of Family Therapy, “ Homework and Family Stress: With Consideration of Parents’ Self Confidence, Educational Level, and Cultural Background ,” 2015.

Homework highlights digital inequity.

Sources: NEAToday.org, “ The Homework Gap: The ‘Cruelest Part of the Digital Divide’ ,” 2016; CNET.com, “ The Digital Divide Has Left Millions of School Kids Behind ,” 2021.
Source: Investopedia, “ Digital Divide ,” 2022; International Journal of Education and Social Science, “ Getting the Homework Done: Social Class and Parents’ Relationship to Homework ,” 2015.
Source: World Economic Forum, “ COVID-19 exposed the digital divide. Here’s how we can close it ,” 2021.

Homework does not help younger students.

Source: Review of Educational Research, “ Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Researcher, 1987-2003 ,” 2006.

To help students find the right balance and succeed, teachers and educators must start the homework conversation, both internally at their school and with parents. But in order to successfully advocate on behalf of students, teachers must be well educated on the subject, fully understanding the research and the outcomes that can be achieved by eliminating or reducing the homework burden. There is a plethora of research and writing on the subject for those interested in self-study.

For teachers looking for a more in-depth approach or for educators with a keen interest in educational equity, formal education may be the best route. If this latter option sounds appealing, there are now many reputable schools offering online master of education degree programs to help educators balance the demands of work and family life while furthering their education in the quest to help others.

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Digital Homework

The Federal Communications Commission reports that about 65% of students used the internet at home to complete their homework and 70% of teachers assigned homework that required access to broadband. As technology becomes increasingly common in households, how can educators and parents harness technology to foster students' problem-solving skills?

Going Paperless but Not Effortless

A young student sits with a laptop and book

“Alexa, what’s 5 minus 3?” A 6-year-old boy discreetly asked Amazon’s voice-activated assistant for the answer to his homework; he got a perfect answer right back, while his mother was busy doing household chores. This short video was posted on Twitter and received more than 8.5 million views.

National Public Radio introduced this case to raise awareness among parents and educators of the challenges posed by the pervasiveness of digital technology and artificial intelligence in everyday life. As technology is increasingly common in households, one pressing question for educators and parents alike is how technology-assisted homework can foster students’ problem-solving skills rather than crippling indolence.

Going Paperless

Technology makes our life easy — bills can be paperless; homework can be completed via the internet. Online homework is a major component of e-learning through network technologies. Previous research shows that most U.S. students in sixth grade and above have experience using computers and the internet to complete such “paperless” homework. As students advance in higher grades and education levels, the percentage of digital homework increases correspondingly.

There is no clear-cut definition of what digital homework is. It can be any assignment that students need to complete with the assistance of a computer, the internet, or other information and communication technologies (ICT). Although it would seem the opposite to the traditional homework that students complete with pen, pencil, and paper, it should be noted that, in a broad sense, digital homework includes homework that students write on paper but also requires using computer and/or internet assistance for its completion.

Data show that digital homework is growing in popularity in the 21st century. In 2009, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported that about 65 percent of U.S. students used the internet at home to complete their homework, and approximately 70 percent of teachers assigned homework that required access to broadband. Surveys conducted by the nonprofit educational organization Speak Up in 2017 showed that nearly half of the students in grades six to 12 reported getting internet-based homework assignments daily or almost daily. About 90 percent of high-schoolers reported that they had to do internet-based homework at least a few times a month.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The transition from traditional homework to digital assignments offers both advantages and disadvantages. A 2014 study by researchers Marco Gui, Marina Micheli, and Brunella Fiore shows that students who used the internet moderately for homework performed higher academically than students who used the internet too often or infrequently for homework. Many factors can affect the learning outcomes that students are expected to achieve through digital homework, but critical thinking is always the key to success in using technology for learning.

Digital homework benefits students when educators and parents effectively guide students to maximize the use of ICT for learning. For instance, digital homework can increase students’ interest in doing homework, boost their efficiency in submitting assignments as well as teachers’ efficiency in providing feedback (if submitted online), and inspire students to learn more and more deeply by providing immediate feedback (if graded automatically).

Digital homework fosters and hones the skill of using ICT to solve problems, which is important for students’ postsecondary life. Research shows that people who can solve problems using ICT have higher chances of being employed, and even earn more than people without ICT experience. Meaningful digital homework encourages students to think through what they are learning and enriches their experience using ICT.

Parents and educators have legitimate concerns about digital homework. For elementary school students, the concern is that the use of hi-tech mechanization may hinder their cognitive development, such as memorization and sensory motor skills. For high school students, the worry is that students may largely depend on technology for their assignments rather than use their brains for the thought process.

Digital Divide

Educators also consider the digital divide a matter of big concern. In a 2016 nationwide survey (Speak Up, 2016), 49 percent of principals said that ensuring students’ access to technology outside the school was a major challenge, and 44 percent of teachers worried that they could not effectively integrate technology in the classroom because their students may not have access to consistent and safe internet outside the school. It should be noted that among the surveyed students:

48 percent went to school early or stayed late so they could use their school’s internet
32 percent would access the internet at fast food restaurants or cafes to do their homework
30 percent used their public library internet.

Digital homework should be effective in supporting students to master what they have learned and strengthening their problem-solving skills. The data of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP 2017) show that students who frequently used computers and the internet for math homework performed at much lower rates than students who never or rarely used digital devices for math assignments ( see chart). By contrast, students who received 45 minutes to an hour of math homework every day, regardless of whether digital or traditional, performed the best. The data suggest that persistent practice matters the most for math performance.

Age, grade and subject appropriateness are always the key to the use of technology in education. In sum, digital homework may go paperless, but should never be effortless.

Jinghong Cai Senior Research Analyst

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Lack of Broadband Leaves Students Behind

Friday, March 6, 2020

You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

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Michigan State University's Quello Center reported this week that middle and high school students with high-speed Internet access at home have more digital skills, higher grades, and perform better on standardized tests, such as the SAT. Regardless of socioeconomic status, students who cannot access the Internet from home or are dependent on a cell phone for Internet access do worse in school and are less likely to attend college or university. The deficit in digital skills contributes to lower student interest in careers related to science, technology, engineering, and math. Here we excerpt the report's major findings and conclusions.

Poor Internet connectivity has repercussions that go far beyond the ability to complete homework assignments

The study was designed to understand the repercussions of absent or poor home Internet connectivity on student performance and the associated costs to society. The focus is on Internet connectivity outside of school among middle and high school students enrolled in rural and smalltown schools. This report examines how differences in the type and quality of home connectivity (e.g., broadband vs. cell phone) relate to school performance and other student outcomes in grades 8-11, in fifteen predominantly rural, Michigan, school districts.

I. Rural students and low-income students are less likely to have high-speed Internet access at home

High-speed home Internet access is less common in rural areas, because rural areas are less likely to have an infrastructure to provide broadband Internet access. Students who lack home Internet access are more likely to be rural, low-income, and children of parents who do not have a university degree.

53% of students who live in small-town or rural areas have high-speed Internet access compared to 77% of those who live in suburbs, and 70% of those in cities.
9% of students in rural areas, 6% in small towns, 4% in suburbs, and 5% in cities have no Internet access at all.
Students from families near or below the poverty line (those who are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals) were 25% less likely to have fast Internet access from home and twice as likely not to have Internet access at all or to depend on a cell phone for Internet access from home.

Students without Internet at home are less likely to have alternative sources of online access, such as through neighbors, friends, family, and libraries. Of students who do not have home Internet access:

35% live in a home with no computer.
34% have no access to the Internet for homework when not at school (i.e., they have no access to a library, church, community center, or home of a friend, neighbor, or relative with Internet access).

Many students without Internet access at home depend on a cell phone to access the Internet when away from school.

14% of students do not have dedicated home Internet service or a home computer, laptop, or tablet, but are able to go online through a cell phone.

II. The “homework gap” is only one small indicator of the differences in student performance related to inequalities in home Internet access.

At the level of secondary education, disparities in home access to the Internet are often referred to as the “homework gap.”

82% percent of students in grades 8-11 report that they sometimes or often receive homework that requires Internet access.
Homework takes longer for students to complete if they don’t have home Internet access. Those who have no Internet access from home spend an average of thirty additional minutes on homework per night, compared to their peers who have high-speed Internet access.
64% of students with no home Internet access often or sometimes leave homework unfinished because they lack Internet access or a computer. This compares to 49% of those who rely on cell phones, 39% with slow home access, and only 17% of students with high-speed home Internet access.
After controlling for ability to access the Internet from home, there is no difference between boys and girls, between students who are racial or ethnic minorities and white students, between those who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and those who do not, or between low-income and wealthier students, when it comes to the likelihood that a student will report that he/she often comes to class without having completed his/her homework.

Disparities related to home Internet access go well beyond student experiences with their homework.

III. Students with high-speed home Internet access do more educational activities online when away from school.

Away from school, the majority of students with high-speed Internet connections continue many of the online activities that they do at school: check their grades (82%), do research (82%), turn in homework (66%), look up class information (62%), and work with their peers on projects (52%). In addition, fast Internet access from home provides unique opportunities for students to collaborate and seek support from peers and teachers. Although these activities are not commonly pursued while at school, students with fast home Internet use their connectivity from home to:

message classmates for help with coursework (83%)
video chat with classmates about schoolwork (66%)
email teachers (54%)

Students without home Internet access and those who depend on a cell phones to access the Internet when away from school are less likely to participate in all online, educational activities outside of school. For example:

Only 22% of students who are dependent on a cell phone for Internet access create documents online, compared to 47% of those with highspeed home connections.
Whereas 45% of those with fast Internet connections at home read books and articles online, this is true for only 29% of those who rely on a cell phone.
66% of students with fast home Internet access submit homework assignments online while not at school, whereas only 34% of students with cell phone access are able to submit their homework.

Students with slower Internet connections lag behind in their ability to participate in online activities that require higher bandwidth, such as video chatting with peers about schoolwork, doing research, and looking up classroom information. Although many students without a home Internet connection still manage to get online to do some education activities when not at school, they participate in all activities at significantly lower rates.

IV. The gap in digital skills between students with no home access or cell phone only and those with fast or slow home Internet access is equivalent to the gap in digital skills between 8th and 11th grade students.

Digital skills are related to competence with technology, but extend to broader abilities related to working efficiency, effective communication, and managing and evaluating information. Some skills are likely to come from formal education in schools, but others are related to frequency of use and online activities that are more likely to take place outside of school.

Differences in students’ access to the Internet outside of school account for differences in their digital skills.

Students with fast home Internet access have substantially higher digital skills than those without home access or those who have only cell phone access to the Internet.
After controlling for variation in home Internet access, there is no difference in the level of digital skills reported by low income, minority students, or students from single parent households (although girls and students with IEPs still reported lower digital skills).

V. Students with high-speed, home Internet access have higher overall grade point averages

Demographic factors explain some differences in GPA. For example, girls and students whose parents have more years of formal education tend to receive higher grades. Low-income, minority students and those from single parent households tend to receive lower grades. However, regardless of these factors, students with fast home Internet access obtain higher grades.

On average, students with fast home Internet access report an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.18. This is significantly higher than the average 2.81 GPA for students with no access and the 2.75 average for students who have only cell phone Internet access.
The absence of fast Internet access at home has a significant negative relationship to overall GPA and grades in English/language arts and social studies, but not in math and science.

VI. Digital skills predict higher scores on pen-and-paper versions of standardized tests, such as the SAT and PSAT.

Although digital skills are acquired through experience with different technologies, these skills are related to higher proficiency in a range of domains pertaining to language, computation, and information management. The College Board’s SAT Suite of Assessments tests many of these domains, including evidence-based reading and writing and math. All Michigan students in grades 8-11 are administered pencil-and-paper standardized tests that are part of the SAT Suite of Assessments: the SAT (grade 11), PSAT 10 (grade 10), and PSAT 8/9 (students in grades 8 and 9). The preliminary SAT (PSAT) is used as a benchmark of student growth and performance, whereas the SAT is required in Michigan for high school graduation. Most colleges and universities use it as part of admission decisions and to award merit-based scholarships.

Prior research has found that low income and minority students tend to do worse on the SAT/PSAT. Regardless of income and race, findings show that students who have lower digital skills and those who depend on a cell phone for access to the Internet outside of school do considerably worse.

A student who is even modestly below average in digital skills (one standard deviation below the mean) tends to rank nearly 7 percentiles lower on their total SAT/PSAT score, 5 percentiles lower in math, and 8 percentiles lower in evidence-based reading and writing.
Regardless of digital skills, students who are dependent on a cell phone for their home Internet access averaged 5 percentiles lower in their national rank on the SAT and PSAT for evidence-based reading and writing, 6 percentiles lower in math, and 5 percentiles lower overall.

VII. Students who do not have high-speed Internet access at home are less likely to plan to attend college or university

Having a post-secondary education leads to higher earnings over a lifetime. The number of college and university-educated students in a region can attract industry from advanced-skill fields. As the U.S. economy continues to migrate toward technology intensive jobs across all sectors, individuals with post-secondary degrees have a better chance to work in high-skilled, high-paying occupations. Regions where educational attainment remains low are less likely to attract new technology-intensive industries.

47% of students who have no home Internet access or have cell phone only access to the Internet plan to complete a post-secondary program. This compares with 60% of those with slower home Internet access and 65% of those with fast home Internet.
A student who has digital skills that are even modestly lower than average (i.e., one standard deviation below average) is 29% less likely to plan to complete a college or university program.

VIII. Students with higher digital skills are more likely to plan to enter a career in a STEM- or STEAM-related profession.

The demand for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals is growing and outpacing the supply of STEM college graduates. More jobs are available in STEM fields than in nonSTEM fields, and the average, entry-level salary in a STEM career is higher than in other career options.

Demographic factors, such as gender and parental education level, were better predictors of interest in STEM careers than variation in home Internet access. However, digital skills predict interest in STEM careers.
Students who are moderately lower in digital skills, e.g., one standard deviation below average, are 19% less likely to be interested in a STEM-related career.

IX. Poor broadband connectivity impedes the ability of individuals and communities to thrive in the digital economy.

In addition to the effects on educational outcomes, lack of fast Internet access and cell phone only access are associated with disadvantages that have lifelong consequences.

Lower grades and weaker standardized test scores associated with poor Internet connectivity reduce the chances of students to qualify for scholarships.
The lower interest in post-secondary education or STEM careers decreases lifelong income opportunities and the ability to find jobs in occupations where future demand is high.
Compared to communities with fast Internet access, those with poor broadband connectivity will experience fewer benefits from the digital transformation.

The report provides detailed evidence of the importance of high-speed Internet connectivity for educational and life outcomes. Whereas the negative effect of lacking broadband connectivity for homework completion has been known for some time, the study uses much more granular data and more comprehensive outcome measures. They reveal that poor Internet connectivity has repercussions that go far beyond the ability to complete homework assignments . In many cases, students will possibly be disadvantaged for life . Middle and high school students with high-speed Internet access at home have more digital skills, higher grades, and perform better on standardized tests, such as the SAT . Regardless of socioeconomic status, students who cannot access the Internet from home do worse in school and are less likely to attend college or university . The deficit in digital skills also contributes to l ower academic success and to these students being less interested in higher-paying STEM careers . Students who have only cell phone Internet access, but no complementary devices such as a tablet or notebook computer, are as disadvantaged as students with no access at home .

The findings are an urgent call to address the state of affairs . An important first step is an assessment of the local situation. Although some factors hold across all rural and small-town communities, there are also location-specific components. The reasons for (dis)connectivity can be complex and include a mix of factors such as 1) no service is available, 2) Internet access being too expensive relative to the resources of the family, and 3) household decisionmakers that do not fully appreciate the benefits from subscribing to home broadband.

Each of these barriers requires different responses that range from measures to extend broadband service, to interventions to make service more affordable, and sharing information about how the benefits of broadband can be harnessed (while mitigating legitimate concerns). Although advances in terrestrial wireless and satellite technology will enable new and innovative solutions to provide high-speed connectivity in rural areas, a wait-and-see strategy may impose high costs on individuals, families, and communities. Communities across the United States are experimenting with innovative models to extend service to areas and locations not served by market-driven commercial service providers. The authors hope that the findings of this report will contribute to the design of effective interventions and responses that will help overcome the identified challenges and deficits.

Hampton, K. N., Fernandez, L., Robertson, C. T., & Bauer, J. M. Broadband and Student Performance Gaps. James H. and Mary B. Quello Center, Michigan State University. https://doi.org/10.25335/BZGY-3V91

For recommendations on addressing the digital divide see:

Sallet, Jonathan. October 2019. Broadband for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s. Evanston, IL: Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. https://www.benton.org/publications/broadband-policy2020s

FCC Proposes Over $200M in Fines for Wireless Location Data Violations (FCC)
Broadband DATA Act, meant to improve FCC's broadband mapping, passes House again (C|Net)
Best and Worst States for Internet Coverage, Prices and Speeds, 2020 (Broadband Now)
Auctioning a Chunk of 6 GHz Would be Phenomenally Bad Policy (Harold Feld)
Data Protection is About Power, Not Just Privacy (Public Knowledge)

Weekend Reads (resist tl;dr )

Understanding the True State of Connectivity in America (National Association of Counties)
Toward Digital Inclusion: Broadband Access in the Third Federal Reserve District (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
The Digital Divide: An Isolating Problem in Cleveland (Cleveland Scene)
All the Ways Congress is Taking on the Tech Industry (Vox)

ICYMI from Benton

Want to solve America’s problems? Start with broadband (Adrianne Benton Furniss in Fortune)
Three Generations of Failure (Michael Copps)
From Places to People—Connecting Individuals to Community Anchor Institutions (Jonathan Sallet)
Supporting the Increasingly Important Missions of Community Anchor Institutions (Jonathan Sallet)
What Are States Doing to Close the Digital Divide? (Kevin Taglang)

Upcoming Events

March 10 -- Competition in Digital Technology Markets: Examining Self-Preferencing by Digital Platforms (Senate Judiciary Committee)

March 10 -- 11th Annual USF Update Webinar (Kelley Drye)

March 11-13 -- Celebrating 10 Years of Designing Better Government (Code for America)

March 11 -- Workshop on Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines (Department of Justice)

March 16 -- Promoting Equity for 5G Technology and Big Data (Rep Brenda Lawrence field hearing in Detroit)

March 16 -- CoBank Broadband Symposium (Minnesota Rural Electric Association)

March 17 -- Community Anchor Institution Connectivity Webinar (Western Governors’ Association)

March 17 -- It’s Not Just the Content, It’s the Business Model: Democracy’s Online Speech Challenge (New America)

March 17-19 -- ACA Connects Summit 2020

March 18 -- Workshop on Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines (Federal Trade Commission)

March 19 -- A Broadband Plan for This Decade (2010 National Broadband Plan Alumni)

March 24 -- Technological Advisory Council (FCC)

March 25 -- Tech Converge 2020 (WashingTECH)

March 26 -- Forum on 5G Virtualized Radio Access Networks (FCC)

March 31 -- March 2020 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

For subscribe/unsubscribe info, please email headlinesATbentonDOTorg

Kevin Taglang Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 727 Chicago Avenue Evanston, IL 60202 847-328-3049 headlines AT benton DOT org

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Broadband Delivers Opportunities and Strengthens Communities

By Kevin Taglang.

The ‘Homework Gap’ Persists. Tech Equity Is One Big Reason Why

Nearly a third of U.S. teenagers report facing at least one academic challenge related to lack of access to technology at home, the so-called “homework gap,” according to new survey from the Pew Research Center.

And that is the case even though nearly all K-12 students were back to in-person learning this school year, according to the Pew Research Center survey , conducted April 14 to May 4. The survey examines teens’ and parents’ views on virtual learning and the pandemic’s impact on academic achievement.

“More than two years after the COVID-19 outbreak forced school officials to shift classes and assignments online, teens continue to navigate the pandemic’s impact on their education and relationships, even while they experience glimpses of normalcy as they return to the classroom,” the report’s authors noted.

The survey found that 22 percent of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 said they often or sometimes have to do their homework on a cellphone, 12 percent said they “at least sometimes” are not able to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection, and 6 percent said they have to use public Wi-Fi to do their homework “at least sometimes” because they don’t have an internet connection at home.

The “ homework gap ” is a term used to describe the difficulty students have in getting online at home to complete school assignments. It disproportionately impacts students in low-income households, students of color, and students in rural areas.

The Pew Research Center’s report found the homework gap remains a persistent problem. About 24 percent of teens who live in a household making less than $30,000 a year said they “at least sometimes” are not able to complete their homework because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection, compared with 14 percent of those in a household making $30,000 to $74,999, and 8 percent of those in a household making $75,000 or more, the report found.

Teens whose parents report an annual income of less than $30,000 are also more likely to say they often or sometimes have to do homework on a cellphone or use public Wi-Fi for homework, compared with those living in higher-earning households, according to the survey.

Sixteen percent of Hispanic teens reported they “at least sometimes” aren’t able to complete homework because they lack reliable computer or internet access, compared with 7 percent of Black teens and 10 percent of white teens. Hispanic teens are also four times more likely than white teens to say the same about having to do their homework on a cellphone or using public Wi-Fi for homework, the report found.

When it comes to access to a computer, 20 percent of teens living in a household with an annual income of less than $30,000 reported not having access to a desktop or laptop at home.

Illustration of young girl using laptop.

Teens prefer learning in person

Eighty percent of teens said they attended school completely in person over the month prior to when the survey was administered, according to the report. Eleven percent said they attended school through a mix of online and in-person instruction, and 8 percent said they attended school completely online.

A majority of teens prefer in-person over virtual or hybrid learning. Sixty-five percent said they would prefer school to be completely in person after the COVID-19 outbreak is over, while 9 percent said they would prefer a completely online learning environment. Eighteen percent said they would prefer a mix of online and in-person instruction, according to the report.

While a majority of teens prefer in-person learning, there are some differences that emerge by race and ethnicity and household income. Seventy percent of white teens and 64 percent of Hispanic teens said they would prefer completely in-person learning after the COVID-19 outbreak, but that share drops to 51 percent among Black teens, according to the report.

Seventy-one percent of teens living in households earning $75,000 or more a year said they prefer for school to be completely in person after the pandemic is over. That share drops to 60 percent or less among those whose annual family income is less than $75,000.

Some teens worry about falling behind

When asked about COVID-19’s effect on their schooling, a majority of teens expressed little to no concern about falling behind in school due to disruptions caused by the outbreak. But Hispanic teens and teens from families with lower incomes were more likely to say they are “extremely” or “very” worried about falling behind in school due to COVID-19 disruptions.

Overall, 16 percent of teens said they are “extremely” or “very” worried they may have fallen behind in school because of COVID-19-related disturbances. Twenty-eight percent of Hispanic teens said they are “extremely” or “very” worried that they may have fallen behind, compared with 19 percent of Black teens, and 11 percent of white teens. And 46 percent of teens from households making less than $75,000 annually reported concerns about falling behind in school, compared with 13 percent of teens from households making more than $75,000 annually.

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Home Internet

Internet Connection Types Explained -- and Ranked Best to Worst

Not all internet is the same. Here's what separates each internet connection type, why it matters and how to tell what kind of connection you have.

The technology your ISP uses to send internet to your home makes a difference in speed, reliability, availability and more.

When comparing internet providers in your area , you're most likely checking available speeds and pricing along with the fine-print details like data caps and equipment fees. There's another factor to consider that is equally as important but easy to overlook: the connection type, or what technology your internet service provider uses to send internet to your home. We at CNET have encountered them all and can tell you first-hand the difference the connection type can make .

ISPs use wired or wireless connections (or a mix of the two). Wired connection types -- meaning a wire is connected directly to your home -- include fiber-optic , coaxial cable and copper (DSL) internet. Satellite internet , fixed wireless and the increasingly popular 5G home internet round out your potential wireless internet options.

So what's the difference between them all? This guide will walk you through the different types of internet connections that may be available in your area, how they work and what limitations you can expect from them. Connection types are listed in order of most to least recommended.

Locating local internet providers

Fiber internet: The best, but least available

Fiber-optic internet uses long, thin strands (fibers) of glass or plastic to send data as light signals. The result is speed and reliability that are superior to other connection types.

Fiber-optic can deliver download speeds as fast as 10 gigabits (10,000 megabits per second) or higher -- fast enough to download a 2-hour movie in HD in less than a minute -- but you're likely to find max download speeds around 1,000 to 5,000Mbps from most fiber-optic providers.

Upload speeds , which are essential for working and learning from home, uploading to videos to social media and gaming online, are also significantly faster with fiber-optic service and typically mirror download speeds. No other connection type can deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds like fiber-optic internet.

Pricing for the ultraspeedy plans can easily run you $100 or more per month, but most providers also offer slower speed tiers (if speeds of 100 to 1,000Mbps can be considered slow ) for $40 to $90 per month. Other connection types may present slightly lower introductory prices, depending on the available providers in your area, but when you take into account the speeds you get for the price you pay, you're likely to find the best value with fiber internet.

Availability is the only real disadvantage with fiber. Laying enough fiber-optic cables to connect entire cities and regions is a huge logistical challenge , and with lots of competition and red tape to cut through, it's been slow going for any of the major service providers to expand coverage to underserved areas. Consequently, fiber internet is only available to around 40% of US households and primarily those in urban areas, according to the Federal Communications Commission .

Notable fiber internet providers

CenturyLink
Frontier Fiber
Google Fiber
Verizon Fios
Ziply Fiber

Cable internet delivers a connection to your home via copper coaxial cable -- the same as traditional cable TV.

Cable internet: Your standard connection

Cable internet lacks the full speed potential and reliability of fiber-optic service, but it's much more widely accessible. Cable is one of the most common types of internet connections -- available to nearly 90% of US households -- and you'll often find it bundled with TV packages . That makes sense, because cable internet uses the same coaxial connections as cable TV.

Though not as speedy as fiber internet, cable internet service is still one of the fastest connection types. Most cable providers offer a variety of speed options, including a gigabit plan with download speeds around 940Mbps. Upload speeds are a much different story, however, as few cable internet providers deliver upload speeds above 50Mbps. Speed reliability can also be a concern with cable internet as the connection type is susceptible to network congestion and slowed speeds, especially during peak usage times.

Cable internet pricing varies quite a bit among providers, but cable is, for the most part, one of the more affordable internet connection types. You can get a broadband connection from providers like Astound, Mediacom and Xfinity starting at around $30 per month or less. Spectrum, another big name in cable internet, has a higher starting price at around $40 per month but comes with max download speeds of 300Mbps.

Notable cable internet providers

Comcast Xfinity
Charter Spectrum
Cox Communications
WOW internet

netgear-nighthawk-5g-wi-fi-6-mobile-router

This portable Netgear Nighthawk mobile router takes an incoming 5G signal and broadcasts it out as a Wi-Fi network your nearby devices can use to get online. If you wire it to a dedicated Wi-Fi router, the connection can cover a wider area.

5G home internet: A growing wireless alternative

Mobile internet is largely designed for your phone, but as the technology improves and speeds increase, 5G mobile connections are becoming more practical for home internet use.

With this internet connection type, a cell carrier such as T-Mobile or Verizon sends 5G signals in all directions. Many are picked up by cellphones, but for home internet, a router receives those signals and turns them into a home connection. It's a great way to get broadband without the need for running a line to your home or in some cases, dealing with the companies that have run those lines -- ISPs are notorious for low customer satisfaction ratings .

If you're living in a city or another area with strong cellular infrastructure, you might be able to connect over 5G, with providers like Verizon offering speeds up to 1Gbps . You'll also find cellular internet plans that use LTE, the previous generation of technology, or a mix of LTE and 5G.

When shopping for mobile internet for home use, it's probable that you will only have one or two plans to choose from with a flat rate for whatever speeds are available at your address. T-Mobile offers a single 5G plan ($60 per month for download speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps), while Verizon offers two ($50 or $70 per month for download speeds ranging from 50 to 300Mbps or 85 to 1,000Mbps, respectively).

Notable cellular internet providers

Fixed wireless internet: also wireless, but with a few strings attached.

Another wireless internet option -- but one that may come with more steps and equipment while delivering slower speeds and less data -- is fixed wireless. Similar to 5G, fixed wireless providers send internet signals over the air. But unlike 5G, you'll need a mounted receiver with a direct line of sight to the nearest tower to receive those signals. Hills, trees, buildings or other obstacles nearby can distort or outright block your connection.

Fixed wireless internet speeds often range from 5 to 50Mbps. There are many variables that can affect the quality of the incoming signal, including distance from a local tower, so your available speeds may vary. Regardless of the speeds you can get, expect flat-rate pricing or around $50 per month. Plans also typically come with a monthly data cap of 200 to 300GB, depending on the provider.

Though fixed wireless has traditionally been a rural internet option, the connection type is rapidly expanding in metro areas thanks to providers like Google Fiber and Starry Internet. Instead of beaming services to individual residences, these providers send internet signals to entire buildings, such as an apartment complex, then run service to individual units via an Ethernet cable. These providers are capable of delivering speeds much faster than traditional fixed wireless service with gigabit speeds available in select areas.

Notable fixed wireless internet providers

Google Fiber Webpass
Rise Broadband
Etheric Networks
Starry Internet
Unwired Broadband

DSL internet: A last resort before satellite

DSL (that's "digital subscriber line") is a fixed connection most popular in areas without access to cable or fiber internet. With DSL, your connection to the internet runs through copper phone lines. it's similar to dial-up service in that regard, but DSL is significantly faster than dial-up and won't tie up your phone line.

DSL internet is best for those in rural communities looking for a somewhat reliable and affordable internet connection. While it does lack the speed potential of pretty much every other internet type, it is typically a cheaper and sometimes faster alternative to satellite internet. Since DSL uses existing phone lines to deliver service, availability is high and providers can keep prices relatively low.

Notable DSL internet providers

Frontier Communications

With satellite internet, your connection comes from radio-equipped satellites in Earth's orbit. You'll need a dish to receive the signal.

Satellite internet: When there are no other options

Satellite internet is the most widely available type of internet because it doesn't rely on ground-laid infrastructure like cables, cellular towers or line-of-sight antenna connections. Instead, you'll use a mounted dish to connect with geostationary satellites orbiting miles overhead. If you have a clear view of the southern sky, there's a pretty good chance that there's a satellite provider willing to install a dish and offer you service, for a price.

On average, today's satellite internet providers offer speeds that typically vary from 12 to 100Mbps. In most cases, that makes it a suitable option for smaller households who want to stream video, browse the internet and update social media.

New satellite providers -- namely Elon Musk's Starlink network , which began expanding service in select areas the last few years and Amazon's Project Kuiper -- are promising to bump those speeds up by using low Earth orbit satellites that are closer to the ground. That means that the signal doesn't need to travel as far, which also makes for a reduction in latency, or lag.

Increased competition in the satellite internet industry may help bring costs down for the consumer. Currently, satellite internet is the most expensive internet connection type, by far. Starting prices for satellite internet are around $60 per month, but that's often for slow speeds and low data allowances. If you want faster speeds or more data, satellite internet can quickly get up to $150 to $200 per month, and equipment fees will add another $15 or so to your monthly bill.

Notable satellite internet providers

Finding the right internet service for you.

So which kind of internet connection is right for you? It depends on several factors. The first thing to think about is your typical usage, and how much speed you really need . If you plan to surf the web and check email only, you can get away with a slower connection, but smaller households with users who stream videos, play games online, or upload files for work or school will ideally want access to download speeds of at least 100Mbps.

Costs are another key factor, obviously. Some providers bundle their various services to offer you a discount , but be aware that the promotional pricing might not last as long as the service contract. In that case, you'll pay more for the same service during the second year, for example.

In the end, the biggest factor is likely beyond your control and that's your location. Some parts of the US have lots of options for getting online, while others hardly have any options at all.

Whatever choices are available to you, understanding the different technologies at play will help you know what to expect before you sign up.

Internet connection types FAQs

What type of internet is wi-fi.

Wi-Fi is a way to connect to the internet, not a separate type of internet. With Wi-Fi, a router converts your internet connection into wireless signals and transmits them throughout your home. If you have a cable internet connection, your Wi-Fi is a wireless means of connecting devices to your cable internet service.

How do I know what type of internet connection I have?

Wireless connections are fairly obvious -- you have a satellite dish or antenna mounted for satellite or fixed wireless service, or your provider is Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet.

Determining the type of wired connection you have can be a bit more of a challenge, but a good speed test should do the trick. If your speed test shows similar upload and download speeds, your connection is most likely fiber. Speed tests with download speeds over 100Mbps, especially in the 200 to 940Mbps range, but with significantly lower upload speeds, indicate cable internet service.

If your speed test shows download speeds around 100Mbps or lower, it's possible you have cable or DSL internet. In that case, take a quick peek at the back of your modem -- a coaxial cable means cable internet while a telephone line means a DSL connection.

What is considered broadband?

The FCC recently upgraded the speeds required to qualify as broadband from 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up to 100Mbps down and 20Mbps up. Consequently, many DSL services, which often fall below 100Mbps down and almost always below 20Mbps up, are no longer considered broadband internet. Satellite internet may have the ability to deliver 100Mbps download speeds, but the 20Mbps upload speed is a difficult threshold to cross, meaning satellite internet does not meet the requirements of a broadband connection in many cases.

Home Internet Guides

Best Internet Providers in Los Angeles
Best Internet Providers in New York City
Best Internet Providers in Chicago
Best Internet Providers in San Francisco
Best Internet Providers in Seattle
Best Internet Providers in Houston
Best Internet Providers in San Diego
Best Internet Providers in Denver
Best Internet Providers in Charlotte NC
Google Fiber Internet Review
Xfinity vs Verizon Fios
Verizon 5G vs. T-Mobile Home Internet
Verizon Internet Review
Xfinity Internet Review
Best Rural Internet
Best Cheap Internet and TV Bundles
Best Speed Tests
AT&T Home Internet Review
Best Satellite Internet
Verizon 5G Home Internet Review
T-Mobile Home Internet Review
Best Internet Providers
Frontier Internet Review
Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers
Eero 6 Plus Review
TP-Link Review
Nest Wi-Fi vs. Google Wi-Fi
Best Wi-Fi Extender
Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers
Best Wi-Fi Routers
What is 5G Home Internet?
Home Internet Cheat Sheet
Your ISP May Be Throttling Your Internet Speed
How to Switch ISPs
Internet Connection Types
Internet for Apartments
Top 10 Tips for Wi-Fi Security
How to Save Money on Your Monthly Internet Bill
How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?
AT&T Internet Promo Codes
Verizon Fios Discounts
Comcast XFINITY Codes

The Hechinger Report

Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education

Poor students often lack a home Internet connection. Is this FCC program a solution?

Nichole Dobo DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

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8 Reasons Why Your Internet is Slow (and How to Fix It)

Expert tips to banish slow internet speeds

You can generally fix a slow internet connection if the issue is on your end, but the solution depends on what’s causing the slowdowns. Speed bottlenecks happen for a number of reasons: a slow internet plan, Wi-Fi interference, outdated or malfunctioning equipment, the list goes on.

You can easily lose an afternoon troubleshooting internet issues, but we have a quicker way to get things back up to speed. We put together a list of the eight most common reasons for a slow internet connection; chances are, one of these fixes will solve your issue. Before resigning to a lengthy troubleshooting session or an expensive technician appointment, we recommend you run through the list and save yourself some hassle.

Fed up with slow internet? Check out your other options.

Enter your zip code below to see if a faster plan is available in your area.

Jump to: Why is your internet so slow? | How to fix your slow internet connection | Other reasons your internet is slow | More ways to speed up slow internet | FAQ

Why is your internet so slow?

We provide more detail on each of these potential internet slowdown causes further down the page. Click on an issue to auto-scroll to the solution.

Here are the most common reasons for a slow internet connection:

1. You need to restart your modem and router Equipment restarts are hands down the most effective internet troubleshooting solution. This should always be your first step.

2. Your home network is congested Congestion happens when you overload your internet connection with more traffic than it can handle. To fix it, you can either lower your internet usage or upgrade to a faster plan.

3. Your provider’s network is congested Provider networks can get overloaded the same way your home network can: too much traffic and not enough bandwidth.

4. You need a stronger Wi-Fi signal You experience a weak Wi-Fi signal when you’re too far from your router, when the signal is forced to pass through obstructive materials, or when other Wi-Fi networks and electronic devices introduce interference. You can fix it by extending your Wi-Fi range, choosing a better spot for your router, or adjusting your router’s settings.

5. You exceeded your data cap Many internet providers limit how much data you can use per month. When you go over your limit, your ISP may slow your connection. You can avoid exceeding your data cap by keeping track of your data usage or by purchasing more data.

6. You have high latency High latency causes your internet to feel sluggish and is particularly frustrating with highly time-sensitive activities like gaming and video calls.

7. You have slow or outdated devices It’s not always your internet connection that’s causing the slowdowns, it could be one or more of your devices. If your slowdowns are limited to certain devices, you should start your troubleshooting efforts with those devices rather than your internet connection; sometimes, they just need a simple restart.

8. Your provider is throttling your connection Your ISP may be intentionally slowing down your connection for a number of reasons.

How much speed do you need?

What’s the perfect internet speed for you? Check out our How Much Speed Do You Need tool.

How to fix a slow internet connection

1. you need to restart your modem and router.

As the golden rule of internet troubleshooting, an equipment restart should always be your first step. It’s quick, easy, and effective.

The restart process is the same for a modem, router, or gateway (modem/router combo unit):

Step 1: Unplug the power cable from the back of the modem, router, or gateway.

Step 2: Wait 60 seconds.

Step 3: Plug the power cable back into the back of the equipment.

Step 4: Wait for the equipment to reboot (this can take up to 20 minutes).

2. Your home network is congested

Your slow speeds might be the result of trying to do too much at once on your internet connection. Think of your internet connection as a road directly to your house. One car’s worth of people (or internet data) can reach your house at a time. If there are three cars trying to get there, they have to line up to get to your house. And if more cars arrive as the others are waiting to reach your house, you get a traffic jam.

Here’s how you can tell if you need to upgrade your internet plan:

Use our internet speed test to see if you’re getting the speed advertised by your ISP. If your results are close to your plan speed, consider upgrading.

Download speed 000 Mbps

Upload speed 000 Mbps

Latency (ping) 00 ms

Jitter 00 ms

You can also fix home network congestion by dialing back your internet usage. Thankfully, there are severa l easy ways to do this that don’t include yelling at everyone to get off the internet so you can attend a Zoom meeting.

Here are a few tips on how to manage your home network traffic:

Use QoS settings to prioritize certain online activities

Many routers have a quality of service (or QoS) component that allows you to prioritize certain types of traffic on your home network. For example, you can make sure your streaming data always gets first access to available bandwidth for smooth playback.

Not all routers have adjustable QoS, but if your router does, you’ll find the controls in your router’s web interface. If you need help accessing your router’s settings see our guide on how log into your router .

Prune your internet connections

There may be some devices connected to your network that you rarely use—if at all. Even if you’re not actively using these devices, it still uses bandwidth for updates and other background services. Your router may even have a limited number of devices it can connect to simultaneously, and start kicking some of them off the network when you go over the limit.

One simple way to take stock of all the devices using your network is to load your router’s web interface and view the network map. You will see all connected devices, whether they’re active or not, so you can block the ones you never use. Some routers have an app you can use instead of a web interface.

Another method is to change the Wi-Fi password, but that only applies to wireless devices . Once you do , you must manually reconnect every device .

Stagger bandwidth-hogging activities

If your connection can’t handle everyone online at once, stagger your internet activities so everyone gets a chance at an uninterrupted connection.

Also, make sure to schedule big downloads (like computer and game updates) during times when other people won’t be online.

Put visitors on a guest network

You can create a second guest network using your router’s web interface or mobile app. A guest network allows you to limit how much bandwidth guests can use, and what services and websites they can access . It also provides improved security by preventing guests’ devices from mingling with your devices, so there’s no worry about guests spreading malware to everything you use. Our guide on how to set up guest Wi-Fi covers a few different ways to establish a second network.

3. Your provider’s network is congested

Your ISP is also susceptible to network congestion. It’s similar to congestion on your home network but on a larger scale.

If the congestion gets particularly bad, your internet provider may throttle internet speeds in your area to reduce traffic for the network.

Unfortunately, large-scale network congestion is out of your control, but you can try to work around it by s cheduling big downloads during non-peak hours, like in the middle of the night.

When dealing with heavy ISP slowdowns that don’t resolve, the only real fix is switch ISPs. Luckily, there are lots of new services available, like 5G home internet, Satellite, and new fiber developments. If you’re craving a shiny new ISP, run your zip code in the search bar below; chances are you have some new ISP options.

4. You need a stronger Wi-Fi signal

Walls, distance, and interference from other Wi-Fi networks can weaken your Wi-Fi signal. Weaker Wi-Fi signals mean slower speeds and frequent disconnects .

You can tell if signal interference and weak Wi-Fi signals are your issue by looking at your devices Wi-Fi meter . For fast connection, we recommend ensuring you have at least three bars of signal strength.

To fix weak Wi-Fi, first, check your router’s placement. Y ou want to make sure your router is in a central and elevated location and away from things that can affect your Wi-Fi signals (like walls, Bluetooth speakers, etc.). Sometimes, even moving your router a few feet can make a big difference. See our guide on choosing the best spot for your router . We also have a walkthrough on how to move your router to another room , which may be required to get adequate Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home.

If that doesn’t work, you might need to replace your router with one designed for longer ranges or better coverage—or you can add an extender to your network to stretch Wi-Fi signals into a previously unreachable area .

Check out our guides on how to extend your Wi-Fi range and long-range routers if you need better Wi-Fi coverage.

5. You exceeded your data cap

Many internet providers have data caps, and some slow your speeds to a crawl once you exceed your plan’s data limit. You can usually check to see how much data you’ve used on your online account or through your ISP’s app. Providers like Xfinity give customers very high data caps—1.2 TB for this example—and shouldn’t cause too many issues for most households.

Satellite internet providers charge for internet use by data rather than by internet speed. It’s similar to how cell phone plans usually work: once you use up your data allowance for the month , your internet speeds are throttled.

Hughesnet customers can see speeds drop to 1–3 Mbps. Viasat customers can expect all their internet traffic to be deprioritized, meaning that their data gets pushed to the back of the line of all Viasat customers’ data.

Many DSL, cable, and fiber internet companies are discontinuing data limits , but there are many others that continue to keep them in place . Look to see if your internet service has a data cap in our guide to ISP data caps .

6. You have high latency

Latency is the time data takes to make a round trip from your device to the destination and back. A high latency creates noticeable lag: an extended duration between your physical actions and the results displayed on your screen. This can be particularly frustrating with online gaming or video calls.

High latency is difficult to work around. It depends partially on your physical distance from internet servers, network congestion between you and the servers , and your internet provider’s infrastructure—things that are mostly beyond your control. Internet type can also play into latency as well.

For example, satellite internet has high latency because all your data must travel to space and back, both coming and going to your device. Newer types of internet, including fiber and 5G mmWave , have lower latency because they can handle faster signals.

If you’re looking to lower your latency for a better connection, check out our report on the fastest ISPs . It dives into which internet services have the best tested speeds and lowest average latency.

7. You have slow or outdated devices

The problem might not be with your internet connection—it might be with the device you use . Your computer, tablet, phone, or gaming console could be outdated and not capable of processing today’s Wi-Fi speeds.

For example, the old (but much loved) PlayStation Vita handheld console supports up to 150 Mbps per second because it uses a Wi-Fi 4 radio. That speed can decrease based on the router it connects to and the security protocol it uses. The Vita will never see speeds beyond that 150 Mbps limit.

If you have speed issues on a desktop or laptop, try power cycling the device. This clears the memory of any junk, refreshes your connection, and cleans out unnecessary processes and temporary files. Speed issues tend to happen due to an overworked processor, and a quick power cycle—shutting it down completely for 30 seconds—will “clear its head.”

Other things that can slow down your devices include the following:

Too many open applications
Too many open browser tabs
Outdated software
Outdated drivers
The operating system needs to reboot to install updates
Patch downloads
App downloads

Avoid overwhelming your computer’s CPU by closing unused applications and browser windows. Keep your device’s operating system up to date by allowing auto-updates, and keep your antivirus definitions current.

8. ISP throttling

Internet providers can throttle your speeds, causing a slow connection . We’ll go over throttling briefly here, but you can get a more in-depth look at the subject in our guide to network throttling .

We’ve already discussed a few circumstances where a provider might throttle your speeds—like if you go over your data cap or if there’s too much congestion in the network. But your provider might also slow you down if it flags your internet activity as potentially illegal or if it generally doesn’t want you to do a specific type of activity (like torrenting).

To see if your provider is throttling your internet, run a speed test normally and then run it again using a VPN. If your speeds improve with the VPN, congratulations! You’re throttled.

Other factors that affect your speed

Your internet plan’s maximum speed.

Internet speeds are measured in megabits per second (Mbps) . This refers to your connection’s total bandwidth, not the actual time data uses to make a round trip to a website and back—that’s called latency.

Providers usually advertise their internet speeds as “up to” a certain number of megabits per second, and there’s usually some fine print that says those speeds are not guaranteed. Internet providers are mostly in the clear legally if your internet doesn’t actually perform up to the highest advertised bandwidth.

Realistically, you may pay for 400 Mbps per month, but you may not see that maximum due to hardware issues between your internet provider’s operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems—and your physical internet connection. Utility pole connections, your buried cable, and so on all play a major factor in how your connection performs.

If you need a refresher on internet speeds and what they mean, check out our guide to internet speeds .

Your upload and download speeds

You upload and download data every day, whether you’re on a smartphone or a laptop. For instance, when you access a website, you upload a request to that website and then download temporary files from the site to view it in your browser.

If you don’t have issues with streaming on Netflix or downloading files but are still experiencing some symptoms of slow internet speeds, your issue might actually be with your upload speed.

Cable, DSL, and satellite providers give customers way less upload bandwidth than download bandwidth because most people request much more information from the internet than they send. Upload speed is typically an issue for heavy uploaders—like Twitch streamers , people who work with video or audio , or those who often have to share large files.

The best way to improve upload speeds is to switch to a fiber plan. Fiber-optic internet connections often give customers upload speeds equal to their download speeds. If you don’t know what kind of speeds you really need , check out our recommendations for upload and download speeds .

Your internet connection type

There are a few different technologies internet providers use to deliver your connection, like cable, fiber, satellite, or DSL. Your internet connection type p lays a huge factor in your overall speeds.

Satellite internet transfers internet signals from a base station to a satellite to a receiver at your home. Because all your information must travel such a long distance both ways, satellite internet can have very high latency compared to other types of internet, which slows things down.

DSL internet uses phone lines to carry data. It can’t handle the same amount of bandwidth as cable or fiber. DSL internet tops out at just over 100 Mbps, and its electrical signals tend to degrade in quality over long distances.

Cable internet is faster than DSL because it uses coaxial cables that have a higher bandwidth than phone cables . Speeds can reach up to 1,200 Mbps.

Fiber-optic internet is one of the newest types of internet, and it’s the best wired connection you can get. Fiber uses light pulses to send your internet data, so it has lower latency than other internet types as a whole. It can also carry much more bandwidth than cable or DSL, offering speeds up to 5 ,000 Mbps. It’s less prone to network congestion and offers equally high download and upload speeds.

Overall, DSL and cable are the most common internet types while fiber is newer but scarce. Satellite is best for rural areas where the other three types can’t reach.

More ways to speed up a slow internet connection

We provide some quick tips below to help speed up your internet connection. But if you’re ready to get to the bottom of your internet speed issues with some thorough troubleshooting, see our internet troubleshooting guide .

First, know your plan speed

You need to know how much speed you pay for each month and compare that number against the speed you’re actually getting now . Look on your paper bill or log in to your online account to see your plan’s advertised maximum speed.

Next, run a speed test and compare

Running a series of speed tests while connected to different points in your network can help you figure out where your speeds are slowing down. We’ll break the testing process down into two sections.

Part 1: Test the modem

Your first speed test is to see if you’re getting the correct speeds to your home compared with what you’re supposed to get from your internet provider . To get the most accurate results for your initial speed test, unplug your router from the modem and connect a computer to the same port on the modem using an Ethernet cable. If you have a wireless gateway, just plug it into one of the Ethernet ports.

Warning: We don’t recommend browsing the internet for extended periods of time without using a router. Your router has some excellent built-in security features that protect your network from viruses and malware.

This first test should give you results that are close to the speeds promoted with your plan. If not, try to track this issue over multiple days and times of day to establish a pattern. Contact your internet provider to talk about why you’re not getting the correct speeds if you continue to see lower than expected results .

Part 2: Test the router

If your modem isn’t the issue, the next step is to test the router. Plug the router back into the modem and run multiple speed tests using your wireless devices, and wired devices plugged into the router’s Ethernet ports.

If you see a vast difference between the modem and router tests, then your router is causing your connection slowdowns—or the Ethernet cable tethering your router to the modem.

Keep in mind that not all wireless devices experience identical speeds. Their connections depend on the hardware inside no matter what router you use, so a budget Samsung phone will have slower Wi-Fi speeds than an expensive wireless card plugged into your desktop.

To troubleshoot router problems, follow these steps:

Step 1: Unplug the router’s power , wait 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.

Step 2: Make sure all cables are connected securely and that all ports work.

Step 3: Update your router’s firmware. You can do this by logging in to your router’s web interface or mobile app . (Your ISP likely does this automatically, but it’s worth checking.)

Step 4: Reposition your router .

Step 5: Move wireless connections to the best Wi-Fi band .

Step 6: Change Wi-Fi channels in your router’s interface to find one that’s less crowded.

Step 7: Try a factory reset by pressing the reset button located on the back of your router.

If none of these steps work, you may need to upgrade to a newer or more powerful router. Internet tech advances rather quickly, and if your router is more than a few years old, it might be time to get yourself something more modern . If you’re looking for router-buying guidance, we have recommendations for the best long-range routers , the best modem and router combos , and the best routers for Xfinity .

Check for Wi-Fi dead zones

Wi-Fi problems can stem from multiple factors . It could be your router’s range, a crowded frequency channel or band, or signal interference caused by physical obstructions and other electronics.

You already know that you should place your router at a central and elevated location for the best coverage, so we’ll assume that you’ve already done that and pointed your antennas in the right direction.

Go to different areas of your house with a computer or smartphone and watch the Wi-Fi signal strength indicator. If you notice a lot of dead zones, you may need to move your router again (if they happen in areas where you normally need Wi-Fi) or invest in something to boost your Wi-Fi signal to that particular area. You can also make a Wi-Fi heatmap if you want to get more precise with it.

If you have more than a couple of issues with Wi-Fi dead zones, we recommend upgrading to a mesh networking kit . They usually ship with at least two nodes—one that connects to your modem and another that communicates directly with the first unit—to create a ”blanket” of coverage. There’s no centralized point, and you can easily add more nodes to extend coverage. Moreover, devices seamlessly switch between nodes as you move about the home or office.

If you prefer to stick with the traditional router, you could add a Wi-Fi extender or powerline adapter , However, we still prefer mesh router kits versus the router/extender setup .

Reorganize your Wi-Fi connections

If you’ve already pruned your Wi-Fi connections of unnecessary devices , it’s time to make sure all active connections are on the correct Wi-Fi band.

Most modern routers offer two Wi-Fi bands, which each create their own visible Wi-Fi network. By default, these are usually labeled with their frequency bands, but it might be different if you’ve changed your Wi-Fi network’s name.

These bands operate on two different frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz frequency band has a better range, but it’s slower and more susceptible to signal interference from other electronics. The 5 GHz band is faster but can’t travel as far.

Basically, you want to use the 5 GHz band for most bandwidth-heavy applications like streaming or gaming. Devices that don’t need that much speed—like smart home devices— should use the 2.4 GHz band instead .

Typically, you can change the Wi-Fi band each device uses by logging in to the correct Wi-Fi network on each device. However, some routers broadcast only one network name and automatically selects the best frequency band for your device. This can be problematic if you really need the faster 5 GHz connection, but the router forces your device to use the 2.4 GHz band.

Change your Wi-Fi band’s channel

Changing your router’s channel is a standard troubleshooting suggestion, but it may not work, and here’s why.

All three frequency bands are divided into small 20 MHz channels, and routers combine these channels to make larger ones. Most modern Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices use 80 MHz channels when they connect to the 5 GHz band for the most speed, so routers use these by default.

The thing is, routers only list the smaller channels, so you may run a Wi-Fi diagnostics app and see that channel 36 is clear for you to use, but in reality, it’s probably being used by a neighboring network that, like yours, combines channels 36, 40, 44, and 48 to create one 80 MHz channel.

If that’s the case, your best bet is to select one of the higher 5 GHz channels (if they’re available to you) and hope for the best. Most standalone routers allow you to change the channel in the web interface or mobile app, but you usually can’t change the channel on a mesh system.

Check connected devices

As we mentioned before, sometimes the issue isn’t with your internet connection— it’s with the smartphone, computer, or tablet you’re using to access the internet . It may need a reboot, it may be outdated, or you have too many apps and programs open, bogging down the device’s processor.

Manage your network

If you’ve made it this far and you’re still experiencing problems with slow internet speeds, run through the tips in the home network traffic section of this post if you haven’t already.

Your speed issues most likely stem from your internet provider’s reliability or the traffic on your own home network. Even if you’ve organized and trimmed down your number of connected devices, you could still not have enough bandwidth at certain times of day to cover everything your network has to handle. The only solution to this is to either use the internet less or get a faster internet plan.

Check out every provider and plan in your area to see if you can get better speeds for a better deal.

Quick fixes for slow internet speeds (and why they work)

Before we dive in, download our internet speed test. Measuring your internet speed and knowing how it compares to the speeds you pay for is an important part of diagnosing a slow connection.

Fix #1: Power cycle your modem and router (or wireless gateway)

Your modem and router work hard , and sometimes they need to refresh with a quick power cycle. Simply pull the plug on both units, wait 30 seconds, and then plug the modem back into the wall outlet. Once it properly boots, do the same with the router.

In the case of a wireless gateway, pull the plug, wait, and plug it back in.

Draining both units of power allows them to clear the system memory, clear up any local communication issues, and reestablish fresh connections. Moreover, a power cycle allows the modem to resync with your internet provider’s operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems. It also refreshes your router’s public IP address.

Overall, a power cycle can really give your internet speeds a boost on your side of the modem.

Fix #2: Move your router to another location

Many people hide their routers or wireless gateways in closets, behind furniture , or down in basement s . Don’t be one of those people unless you want excessively bad Wi-Fi.

Instead , put as few physical barriers between your router and your devices as possible. Walls, floors, ceilings , doors, large furniture, and similar obstructions can barricade your Wi-Fi signals and reduce connection speeds , especially over longer distances.

Certain signals from other devices can also interfere with your wireless speeds. These include microwaves, Bluetooth speakers, baby monitors, and cordless phones.

For the best Wi-Fi coverage, place your router in a central, elevated location, or at a location where you use Wi-Fi the most, like in a home office .

Be sure to use your router’s external antennas ( if present ) to get better Wi-Fi coverage. Most router antennas broadcast Wi-Fi signals in an outward circle perpendicular to the antenna’s position . For instance, if the antennas are positioned vertically, the Wi-Fi signals broadcast horizontally in all directions.

That said, if you live in a one-story house, keep the antennas vertical. If you live in a multistory house, position at least one antenna horizontally so the Wi-Fi signals reach the additional floors.

Fix #3: Use the internet during off-peak hours

If you know there’s a big download in your future— the latest version of macOS or a 100 GB update for an Xbox Series X game—you might want to schedule a time when you don’t need to do anything else online. The early morning hours are ideal when everyone is asleep and no other downloads currently hog your bandwidth.

Operating systems tend to wait until the early morning hours when you’re fast asleep. Game updates, meanwhile, typically require you to manually start the download. Other updates aren’t quite so accommodating with your schedule.

If your internet gets too slow to stream during certain peak hours, download the content earlier in the day (or again, in the middle of the night) so you’ll be ready to binge watch all of Avatar: The Last Airbender without buffering -related interruptions.

Fix #4: Upgrade your internet plan

You may need a faster plan if more people live with you now, if you transitioned to working from home, or if you generally use the internet more than you did before. Enter your zip code below to find a speedier plan that’s available in your area .

How do I know if I need a faster internet plan?

What is type of internet plan is the fastest.

Fiber internet is the fastest type of internet connection you can get. Many residential fiber-optic internet plans offer speeds up to 5,000 Mbps. There are even some fiber plans that offer 10,000 Mbps of bandwidth. Additionally, fiber internet offers symmetrical speeds, meaning your upload speeds are just as fast as your download speeds—a handy feature for activities like zoom calls, twitch streaming, and uploading large files.

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Author - Austin Aguirre

Austin worked as a broadband technician installing and troubleshooting countless home internet networks for some of the largest ISPs in the U.S. He became a freelance writer in 2020 specializing in software guides. After graduating with a BS in technical communication from Arizona State University, he joined the team at HighSpeedInternet.com where he focuses on home network improvement and troubleshooting.

Editor - Cara Haynes

Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.

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The internet and the pandemic, 90% of americans say the internet has been essential or important to them, many made video calls and 40% used technology in new ways. but while tech was a lifeline for some, others faced struggles.

Pew Research Center has a long history of studying technology adoption trends and the impact of digital technology on society. This report focuses on American adults’ experiences with and attitudes about their internet and technology use during the COVID-19 outbreak. For this analysis, we surveyed 4,623 U.S. adults from April 12-18, 2021. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Chapter 1 of this report includes responses to an open-ended question and the overall report includes a number of quotations to help illustrate themes and add nuance to the survey findings. Quotations may have been lightly edited for grammar, spelling and clarity. The first three themes mentioned in each open-ended response, according to a researcher-developed codebook, were coded into categories for analysis.

Here are the questions used for this report , along with responses, and its methodology .

Technology has been a lifeline for some during the coronavirus outbreak but some have struggled, too

The coronavirus has transformed many aspects of Americans’ lives. It shut down schools, businesses and workplaces and forced millions to stay at home for extended lengths of time. Public health authorities recommended limits on social contact to try to contain the spread of the virus, and these profoundly altered the way many worked, learned, connected with loved ones, carried out basic daily tasks, celebrated and mourned. For some, technology played a role in this transformation.

Results from a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted April 12-18, 2021, reveal the extent to which people’s use of the internet has changed, their views about how helpful technology has been for them and the struggles some have faced.

The vast majority of adults (90%) say the internet has been at least important to them personally during the pandemic, the survey finds. The share who say it has been essential – 58% – is up slightly from 53% in April 2020. There have also been upticks in the shares who say the internet has been essential in the past year among those with a bachelor’s degree or more formal education, adults under 30, and those 65 and older.

A large majority of Americans (81%) also say they talked with others via video calls at some point since the pandemic’s onset. And for 40% of Americans, digital tools have taken on new relevance: They report they used technology or the internet in ways that were new or different to them. Some also sought upgrades to their service as the pandemic unfolded: 29% of broadband users did something to improve the speed, reliability or quality of their high-speed internet connection at home since the beginning of the outbreak.

Still, tech use has not been an unmitigated boon for everyone. “ Zoom fatigue ” was widely speculated to be a problem in the pandemic, and some Americans report related experiences in the new survey: 40% of those who have ever talked with others via video calls since the beginning of the pandemic say they have felt worn out or fatigued often or sometimes by the time they spend on them. Moreover, changes in screen time occurred for Americans generally and for parents of young children . The survey finds that a third of all adults say they tried to cut back on time spent on their smartphone or the internet at some point during the pandemic. In addition, 72% of parents of children in grades K-12 say their kids are spending more time on screens compared with before the outbreak. 1

For many, digital interactions could only do so much as a stand-in for in-person communication. About two-thirds of Americans (68%) say the interactions they would have had in person, but instead had online or over the phone, have generally been useful – but not a replacement for in-person contact. Another 15% say these tools haven’t been of much use in their interactions. Still, 17% report that these digital interactions have been just as good as in-person contact.

About two-thirds say digital interactions have been useful, but not a replacement for in-person contact

Some types of technology have been more helpful than others for Americans. For example, 44% say text messages or group messaging apps have helped them a lot to stay connected with family and friends, 38% say the same about voice calls and 30% say this about video calls. Smaller shares say social media sites (20%) and email (19%) have helped them in this way.

The survey offers a snapshot of Americans’ lives just over one year into the pandemic as they reflected back on what had happened. It is important to note the findings were gathered in April 2021, just before all U.S. adults became eligible for coronavirus vaccine s. At the time, some states were beginning to loosen restrictions on businesses and social encounters. This survey also was fielded before the delta variant became prominent in the United States, raising concerns about new and evolving variants .

Here are some of the key takeaways from the survey.

Americans’ tech experiences in the pandemic are linked to digital divides, tech readiness

Some Americans’ experiences with technology haven’t been smooth or easy during the pandemic. The digital divides related to internet use and affordability were highlighted by the pandemic and also emerged in new ways as life moved online.

Beyond that, affordability remained a persistent concern for a portion of digital tech users as the pandemic continued – about a quarter of home broadband users (26%) and smartphone owners (24%) said in the April 2021 survey that they worried a lot or some about paying their internet and cellphone bills over the next few months.

From parents of children facing the “ homework gap ” to Americans struggling to afford home internet , those with lower incomes have been particularly likely to struggle. At the same time, some of those with higher incomes have been affected as well.

60% of broadband users with lower incomes often or sometimes have connection problems, and 46% are worried at least some about paying for broadband

Affordability and connection problems have hit broadband users with lower incomes especially hard. Nearly half of broadband users with lower incomes, and about a quarter of those with midrange incomes, say that as of April they were at least somewhat worried about paying their internet bill over the next few months. 3 And home broadband users with lower incomes are roughly 20 points more likely to say they often or sometimes experience problems with their connection than those with relatively high incomes. Still, 55% of those with lower incomes say the internet has been essential to them personally in the pandemic.

At the same time, Americans’ levels of formal education are associated with their experiences turning to tech during the pandemic.

Adults with a bachelor’s, advanced degree more likely than others to make daily video calls, use tech in new ways, consider internet essential amid COVID-19

Those with a bachelor’s or advanced degree are about twice as likely as those with a high school diploma or less formal education to have used tech in new or different ways during the pandemic. There is also roughly a 20 percentage point gap between these two groups in the shares who have made video calls about once a day or more often and who say these calls have helped at least a little to stay connected with family and friends. And 71% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more education say the internet has been essential, compared with 45% of those with a high school diploma or less.

More broadly, not all Americans believe they have key tech skills. In this survey, about a quarter of adults (26%) say they usually need someone else’s help to set up or show them how to use a new computer, smartphone or other electronic device. And one-in-ten report they have little to no confidence in their ability to use these types of devices to do the things they need to do online. This report refers to those who say they experience either or both of these issues as having “lower tech readiness.” Some 30% of adults fall in this category. (A full description of how this group was identified can be found in Chapter 3. )

‘Tech readiness,’ which is tied to people’s confident and independent use of devices, varies by age

These struggles are particularly acute for older adults, some of whom have had to learn new tech skills over the course of the pandemic. Roughly two-thirds of adults 75 and older fall into the group having lower tech readiness – that is, they either have little or no confidence in their ability to use their devices, or generally need help setting up and learning how to use new devices. Some 54% of Americans ages 65 to 74 are also in this group.

Americans with lower tech readiness have had different experiences with technology during the pandemic. While 82% of the Americans with lower tech readiness say the internet has been at least important to them personally during the pandemic, they are less likely than those with higher tech readiness to say the internet has been essential (39% vs. 66%). Some 21% of those with lower tech readiness say digital interactions haven’t been of much use in standing in for in-person contact, compared with 12% of those with higher tech readiness.

46% of parents with lower incomes whose children faced school closures say their children had at least one problem related to the ‘homework gap’

As school moved online for many families, parents and their children experienced profound changes. Fully 93% of parents with K-12 children at home say these children had some online instruction during the pandemic. Among these parents, 62% report that online learning has gone very or somewhat well, and 70% say it has been very or somewhat easy for them to help their children use technology for online instruction.

Still, 30% of the parents whose children have had online instruction during the pandemic say it has been very or somewhat difficult for them to help their children use technology or the internet for this.

Remote learning has been widespread during the pandemic, but children from lower-income households have been particularly likely to face ‘homework gap’

The survey also shows that children from households with lower incomes who faced school closures in the pandemic have been especially likely to encounter tech-related obstacles in completing their schoolwork – a phenomenon contributing to the “ homework gap .”

Overall, about a third (34%) of all parents whose children’s schools closed at some point say their children have encountered at least one of the tech-related issues we asked about amid COVID-19: having to do schoolwork on a cellphone, being unable to complete schoolwork because of lack of computer access at home, or having to use public Wi-Fi to finish schoolwork because there was no reliable connection at home.

This share is higher among parents with lower incomes whose children’s schools closed. Nearly half (46%) say their children have faced at least one of these issues. Some with higher incomes were affected as well – about three-in-ten (31%) of these parents with midrange incomes say their children faced one or more of these issues, as do about one-in-five of these parents with higher household incomes.

More parents say their screen time rules have become less strict under pandemic than say they’ve become more strict

Prior Center work has documented this “ homework gap ” in other contexts – both before the coronavirus outbreak and near the beginning of the pandemic . In April 2020, for example, parents with lower incomes were particularly likely to think their children would face these struggles amid the outbreak.

Besides issues related to remote schooling, other changes were afoot in families as the pandemic forced many families to shelter in place. For instance, parents’ estimates of their children’s screen time – and family rules around this – changed in some homes. About seven-in-ten parents with children in kindergarten through 12th grade (72%) say their children were spending more time on screens as of the April survey compared with before the outbreak. Some 39% of parents with school-age children say they have become less strict about screen time rules during the outbreak. About one-in-five (18%) say they have become more strict, while 43% have kept screen time rules about the same.

More adults now favor the idea that schools should provide digital technology to all students during the pandemic than did in April 2020

Americans’ tech struggles related to digital divides gained attention from policymakers and news organizations as the pandemic progressed.

On some policy issues, public attitudes changed over the course of the outbreak – for example, views on what K-12 schools should provide to students shifted. Some 49% now say K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide all students with laptop or tablet computers in order to help them complete their schoolwork during the pandemic, up 12 percentage points from a year ago.

Growing shares across political parties say K-12 schools should give all students computers amid COVID-19

The shares of those who say so have increased for both major political parties over the past year: This view shifted 15 points for Republicans and those who lean toward the GOP, and there was a 9-point increase for Democrats and Democratic leaners.

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the government has this responsibility, and within the Republican Party, those with lower incomes are more likely to say this than their counterparts earning more money.

Video calls and conferencing have been part of everyday life

Americans’ own words provide insight into exactly how their lives changed amid COVID-19. When asked to describe the new or different ways they had used technology, some Americans mention video calls and conferencing facilitating a variety of virtual interactions – including attending events like weddings, family holidays and funerals or transforming where and how they worked. 5 From family calls, shopping for groceries and placing takeout orders online to having telehealth visits with medical professionals or participating in online learning activities, some aspects of life have been virtually transformed:

“I’ve gone from not even knowing remote programs like Zoom even existed, to using them nearly every day.” – Man, 54

“[I’ve been] h andling … deaths of family and friends remotely, attending and sharing classical music concerts and recitals with other professionals, viewing [my] own church services and Bible classes, shopping. … Basically, [the internet has been] a lifeline.” – Woman, 69

“I … use Zoom for church youth activities. [I] use Zoom for meetings. I order groceries and takeout food online. We arranged for a ‘digital reception’ for my daughter’s wedding as well as live streaming the event.” – Woman, 44

Among those who have used video calls during the outbreak, 40% feel fatigued or worn out at least sometimes from time spent on these calls

When asked about video calls specifically, half of Americans report they have talked with others in this way at least once a week since the beginning of the outbreak; one-in-five have used these platforms daily. But how often people have experienced this type of digital connectedness varies by age. For example, about a quarter of adults ages 18 to 49 (27%) say they have connected with others on video calls about once a day or more often, compared with 16% of those 50 to 64 and just 7% of those 65 and older.

Even as video technology became a part of life for users, many accounts of burnout surfaced and some speculated that “Zoom fatigue” was setting in as Americans grew weary of this type of screen time. The survey finds that some 40% of those who participated in video calls since the beginning of the pandemic – a third of all Americans – say they feel worn out or fatigued often or sometimes from the time they spend on video calls. About three-quarters of those who have been on these calls several times a day in the pandemic say this.

Fatigue is not limited to frequent users, however: For example, about a third (34%) of those who have made video calls about once a week say they feel worn out at least sometimes.

These are among the main findings from the survey. Other key results include:

Some Americans’ personal lives and social relationships have changed during the pandemic: Some 36% of Americans say their own personal lives changed in a major way as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Another 47% say their personal lives changed, but only a little bit. About half (52%) of those who say major change has occurred in their personal lives due to the pandemic also say they have used tech in new ways, compared with about four-in-ten (38%) of those whose personal lives changed a little bit and roughly one-in-five (19%) of those who say their personal lives stayed about the same.

Even as tech helped some to stay connected, a quarter of Americans say they feel less close to close family members now compared with before the pandemic, and about four-in-ten (38%) say the same about friends they know well. Roughly half (53%) say this about casual acquaintances.

The majority of those who tried to sign up for vaccine appointments in the first part of the year went online to do so: Despite early problems with vaccine rollout and online registration systems , in the April survey tech problems did not appear to be major struggles for most adults who had tried to sign up online for COVID-19 vaccines. The survey explored Americans’ experiences getting these vaccine appointments and reveals that in April 57% of adults had tried to sign themselves up and 25% had tried to sign someone else up. Fully 78% of those who tried to sign themselves up and 87% of those who tried to sign others up were online registrants.

When it comes to difficulties with the online vaccine signup process, 29% of those who had tried to sign up online – 13% of all Americans – say it was very or somewhat difficult to sign themselves up for vaccines at that time. Among five reasons for this that the survey asked about, the most common major reason was lack of available appointments, rather than tech-related problems. Adults 65 and older who tried to sign themselves up for the vaccine online were the most likely age group to experience at least some difficulty when they tried to get a vaccine appointment.

Tech struggles and usefulness alike vary by race and ethnicity. Americans’ experiences also have varied across racial and ethnic groups. For example, Black Americans are more likely than White or Hispanic adults to meet the criteria for having “lower tech readiness.” 6 Among broadband users, Black and Hispanic adults were also more likely than White adults to be worried about paying their bills for their high-speed internet access at home as of April, though the share of Hispanic Americans who say this declined sharply since April 2020. And a majority of Black and Hispanic broadband users say they at least sometimes have experienced problems with their internet connection.

Still, Black adults and Hispanic adults are more likely than White adults to say various technologies – text messages, voice calls, video calls, social media sites and email – have helped them a lot to stay connected with family and friends amid the pandemic.

Tech has helped some adults under 30 to connect with friends, but tech fatigue also set in for some. Only about one-in-five adults ages 18 to 29 say they feel closer to friends they know well compared with before the pandemic. This share is twice as high as that among adults 50 and older. Adults under 30 are also more likely than any other age group to say social media sites have helped a lot in staying connected with family and friends (30% say so), and about four-in-ten of those ages 18 to 29 say this about video calls.

Screen time affected some negatively, however. About six-in-ten adults under 30 (57%) who have ever made video calls in the pandemic say they at least sometimes feel worn out or fatigued from spending time on video calls, and about half (49%) of young adults say they have tried to cut back on time spent on the internet or their smartphone.

Throughout this report, “parents” refers to those who said they were the parent or guardian of any children who were enrolled in elementary, middle or high school and who lived in their household at the time of the survey. ↩
People with a high-speed internet connection at home also are referred to as “home broadband users” or “broadband users” throughout this report. ↩
Family incomes are based on 2019 earnings and adjusted for differences in purchasing power by geographic region and for household sizes. Middle income is defined here as two-thirds to double the median annual family income for all panelists on the American Trends Panel. Lower income falls below that range; upper income falls above it. ↩
A separate Center study also fielded in April 2021 asked Americans what the government is responsible for on a number of topics, but did not mention the coronavirus outbreak. Some 43% of Americans said in that survey that the federal government has a responsibility to provide high-speed internet for all Americans. This was a significant increase from 2019, the last time the Center had asked that more general question, when 28% said the same. ↩
Quotations in this report may have been lightly edited for grammar, spelling and clarity. ↩
There were not enough Asian American respondents in the sample to be broken out into a separate analysis. As always, their responses are incorporated into the general population figures throughout this report. ↩

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Report Materials

Table of contents, 34% of lower-income home broadband users have had trouble paying for their service amid covid-19, experts say the ‘new normal’ in 2025 will be far more tech-driven, presenting more big challenges, what we’ve learned about americans’ views of technology during the time of covid-19, key findings about americans’ views on covid-19 contact tracing, how americans see digital privacy issues amid the covid-19 outbreak, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

New investment in VU spin-off Rapid Photonics for even faster internet

The challenge and opportunity

The use of lithium niobate in integrated photonic chips makes it possible to drastically increase the speed of fiber optic connections and greatly reduce the power consumption of data traffic. To date, it has been very challenging to produce photonic chips in lithium niobate. This has prevented broad commercial application of lithium niobate in photonic chips.

Towards a scalable technology

Rapid Photonics B.V. has developed a technology that solves the problem of producing photonic chips based on lithium-niobate. The technology uses production processes used in the semiconductor industry. This makes the technology very suitable for industrial-scale production in existing chip factories. The financing from Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland enables Rapid Photonics to develop a demonstrator for the telecom market.

Steven Tan, Co-Founder of Rapid Photonics:

“For many years research has been conducted with photonic chips in lithium niobate. Fantastic results have been achieved in terms of data speed and energy efficiency. Unfortunately, until now it has not been possible to produce photonic chips in lithium niobate on an industrial scale. Our technology will change that. We are very pleased with the support from the Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland, which enables us to take the first steps towards commercialization.” Website Rapid Photonics

Wouter Keij, Fund Manager voor Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland:

“Rapid Photonics is developing an innovative technology for an etchless production process of photonic chips based on lithium niobate. Due to its compatibility with current chip production processes, Rapid Photonics' technology can be applied in a scalable manner. Rapid Photonics thus makes an important contribution to the technological position of the Netherlands in the field of photonics.”

About Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland

Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland is an initiative of the Province of Noord-Holland, University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam UMC and Sanquin. The Fund supports entrepreneurs in the province of Noord-Holland through financing innovation in the Proof-of-Concept phase by providing convertible loans. Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland manages two funds: a fund for innovative starters, supported by the RVO, and a fund for academic starters, supported by ERDF. www.innovationfondsnoordholland.nl

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Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

Thinking of taking a last-minute drive to see the eclipse here's what to know.

Geoff Brumfiel

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred. AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NASA says that roughly 31.6 million people live in the path of this year's total solar eclipse, and a little under half of the U.S. population lives within 200 miles driving distance of the path of totality .

That could mean many millions of Americans will hit the road to get a better view on April 8. If you're still pondering whether or not you want to make the journey, here's what to consider.

Have some destinations in mind, and check the weather and cloud cover forecasts in advance

It's a good idea to scout out one or more locations within driving distance, so that you have some flexibility if traffic or weather is threatening your plans, says Jonathan Upchurch, a professor emeritus of civil engineering at Arizona State University who has studied travel around solar eclipses.

There are several interactive tools that show the path of totality, including Eclipse2024.org and the National Solar Observatory . You can use them to figure out what sites might work best for you.

In terms of weather, check not just the weather forecast, but also the cloud cover forecast. Some websites, such as Windy.com will predict cloud cover ahead of time, giving you a sense of whether you'll actually be able to see the eclipse in all its glory.

Everything you need to know about solar eclipse glasses before April 8

During the total solar eclipse in 2017, Upchurch says he chose to go to Idaho "because there were some great chances of having sunny skies, and I had the opportunity to be nimble and relocate if I wanted to."

Before driving into the path of totality, make sure your gas tank is full and that you've got everything you need

During the last total solar eclipse in 2017, it's estimated some 5 million people took to the roads, and those numbers will potentially be much higher this year.

Given all that, Upchurch says it's important to make sure you're taking what you need into the path of totality. You should make sure your car is gassed or charged up, and that you have plenty of snacks and water with you in case you get stranded for a while, especially when trying to leave.

Solar Eclipse 2024: Totality stretches from Texas to Maine

Simple tips to safely photograph the eclipse with your cellphone.

Also don't forget to bring eclipse glasses, which must be worn anytime you're looking at the sun, except for the few minutes when it is completely blocked by the moon.

Some state emergency planners also recommend bringing a paper map or road atlas in case cellular networks become overloaded with visitors seeking directions from their phones.

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone! Erika Goldring/FilmMagic hide caption

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone!

Arrive early and stay late

Once you figure out where you're going to watch the eclipse, and you've got your supplies, try to get there early. Although traffic is likely to be heavier than normal on the morning of eclipse day, it still should be possible to reach many destinations without too much hassle, says Upchurch.

"Leaving is definitely going to be more of a problem," he says. As the eclipse concludes, people will take to the roads all at once to try and get home as fast as they can. In 2017, that led to traffic jams that lasted many hours in some areas. If possible, Upchurch says, people should stay put for a while to try and avoid the worst of the post-eclipse rush, which in 2017 stretched even into the following day in some parts of the country.

Here's what time the eclipse will be visible in your region

And one more thing: If you do find yourself on the move near the time of the eclipse, state officials stress that you should not simply pull over to the side of the road or highway you're driving on. It's important to be parked legally and safely at the moment of totality.

If you're already in the path of totality: Relax and enjoy!

Several major metropolitan areas including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo are already inside the path of totality, so there's no need to seek a better view, Upchurch says. You'll probably have the most fun simply staying where you are.

Shots - Health News

Watching a solar eclipse without the right filters can cause eye damage. here's why.

If you're on the edge of the path of totality, however, you might consider making a short trip to get closer to the center of the eclipse's path.

"If you're within about 40 miles of the center line, you'll have two-and-a-half minutes or more" of complete totality, Upchurch says. It's up to you to decide whether it's worth making the trip to a more central location.

Despite studying the potential hassles of traveling extensively, Upchurch says he's still looking forward to seeing the 2024 eclipse, which he plans to watch from Texas.

"Totality is absolutely spectacular," he says. "If you have a chance to witness it, I would do it."

2024 solar eclipse
eclipse 2024
2024 eclipse
Traffic patterns
total eclipse

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Step 2: Wait 60 seconds. Step 3: Plug the power cable back into the back of the equipment. Step 4: Wait for the equipment to reboot (this can take up to 20 minutes). 2. Your home network is congested. Your slow speeds might be the result of trying to do too much at once on your internet connection.
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