As we slowly enter the fourth industrial revolution, access to the internet has become a fundamental right for all; especially following a pandemic that forced all aspects of everyday life to migrate to cyberspace.

By now, a world without the world wide web would be unimaginable. 

However, there still exist people who are entirely off the grid. According to numbers provided by Statista, there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide – 59.5 percent of the global population in 2021. Those same numbers showed that almost 20 million people in the U.S. alone remain unconnected. 

This lack of coverage trickles down to many societal aspects, specifically education since it allows people to create more prosperous lives and communities to reach prosperity and welfare. 

To achieve this, an affordable internet connection is vital, especially in more rural and remote areas, which is why a distributed antenna system (DAS) is a must when looking to bolster connectivity across the board. 

Not only that but a well-defined legal and regulatory framework encourages investments in connectivity and services, which subsequently would lower expenses and breed innovation to unlock the internet’s added value to education fully. 

Accordingly, U.S.-based non-profit the Internet Society outlined in a report that the importance of setting up a robust policy framework and realistic implementation strategy, which are: 

• Developing a regulatory framework that stimulates investment, competition, and lower access prices, perhaps including special access rates for schools and colleges.
• Reviewing universal access and service programs allows more flexible and innovative funding approaches.
• Including schools and colleges and National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) in national broadband strategies and universal access programs.
• Encouraging and supporting community-based access initiatives, educational networks, and local research and development initiatives enable diverse access and use models.
• Explicitly addressing the potential for ICTs to overcome gender inequalities in education and improve opportunities and outcomes for girls.
• Revamping legislation to bolster equality in education, especially targeting less fortunate and rural communities. 
• Ensuring that teachers have the necessary skills to use Internet resources effectively.

Collaboration here is critical; lawmakers, DAS, internet communities, and education stakeholders must all work together to pave the way for customized services for communities to lay out adequate infrastructure. 

Peer Communications has extensive experience in providing tailor-made wireless systems to both private and public entities, so feel free to contact us to request a proposal based on your very own needs.