What it has or what it does not have? Signposts from US data for rural children's digital access to informal learning

A fifth of US children live in rural areas with limited access to the informal learning opportunities available to their metropolitan counterparts. High-speed broadband internet access can be an important vehicle for delivering opportunities at home and outside of the classroom. In an attempt to explore what current data say about children's broadband access, the researcher examined recent data sets from two federal agencies. Results suggested that rural homes with children tended to have access to broadband but when they do not, cost and availability were barriers. Schools also tended to be sites of access that met the speeds required for current learning imperatives. Results are only suggestive; data sets reflect small samples not drawn from the same time or population. More precise and interoperable data must be collected for researchers and policy-makers to document the complementary roles of home and informal learning spaces in schools supported by broadband.