Today,although more people than ever can get connected, there is still concern of a persistent digital divide, especially around the issue of access to high speed Internet. The problem is that many, including those in the adult education community, have not been able to find or afford low cost high speed anywhere/anytime access to the Internet for individuals or groups.
Many adult education learners and staff are faced with a dizzying array of choices for technology that can be used for personal and educational needs. Most have smartphones, while some might also have laptops, tablets, and mobile hotspots. Some adult education classes are held in venues where a classroom set of desktop computers are wired together via Ethernet cable to the lab’s router that connects to the Internet. However access to computer labs is usually quite limited. What everyone in the adult education community needs is affordable anytime/anywhere low cost high speed access to the Internet. Meeting this need is more and more possible due to the spread of affordable hardware that is able to simply connect to WiFi.
What is WiFi?
WiFiprovides network connectivity that uses radio waves to connect to the Internet. A WiFi connection can be established using a wireless adapter to createhotspots- areas in the vicinity of a wireless router that connectto the network and allow usersdevices access to Internet services.You don’t need to worry about understanding how WiFi works. All you need to know is whether or not your device is able to establish aWiFi connection.You also need to know if you are currently near an available wireless connection or hotspot. Almost every current smartphone, tablet, or laptop has the capability of detecting nearby WiFi networks, determining the strength of the signal and whether or not the WiFi network is password protected. More and more venues, such as Starbucks or your local airport, provide free WiFi. If you’re a student attendingan adult education program, find out if they provide a WiFi hotspot and what capacity the WiFi hotspot can provide for you the user. A WiFi connection that works great when you test it might slow to a crawl when you have twenty students trying to access the same connection at the same time.
Most smartphones can have data usage plans for accessing the Internet. However, if students use their own devices’data plans for their WiFi connection, they can go through their data limit in a hurry. If your venue already supplies enough capacity to accommodate all students, then you are all set. If not, you might consider purchasing a mobile hotspot that has a capacity of a high speed connection for at least ten devices. After class, you can continue to use your hotspot so that you can use it for your personal needs anywhere/anytime. Mobile hotspotsare available for anywhere/anytime Internet access even if the user has no cable, phone or networkingcapabilities at home. The wireless WIFI hotspot acts like a phone data plan; you purchase an amount of capacity, i.e., 2 GB, 4 GB, or even 10 GB. When you use all your capacity, you either have to purchase more capacity or be automatically switched to a slower connection.
Mobile Hotspot options:
If you or your students want to pursue a mobile hotspot option, there are a few reasonably priced choices in Massachusetts. The typical package includes a monthly amount of capacity and a mobile hotspot modem to manage that capacity. A modem is a device that changes the signal in a consistent and dependable way from one form to another. For example, your mobile hotspot device will have the ability to convert an incoming radio wave signal into an electrical signal that can be understood by any of the attached devices or convert an electrical signal from your device to a radio wave.
In Boston in January 2017, the TechGoesHome[TGH] website recommendsComcast Internet Essentials if you are a low income family, housing recipient, senior, or community college student. Cost was $9.95 month and included in home WiFi.
When you select TGH Connect from the TechGoesHome webpage, you get an offer from Basic Access of1.2GB[1] of high-speed 4G/LTE [2]data per month, with unlimited data at slower speeds after this allotment has been reached, all for $10 monthly plus taxes for a monthly flat rate plan. If your main uses of the Internet are educational, shopping, research and writing, this might be fine, but for live streaming, audio, and video, this plan may not be enough 4G access.However, for $30per month they offer 6 GB per month, which might be sufficient. Unlimited 4G is $45.00 a month.
Sprint, through PCs for People offers Mobile Beacon’s package, which includes a Franklin Wireless R850 mobile hotspot at a one-time cost of $74.95, along with a subscription for 3 Months for $40, 6 Months for $75, or 12 months for $120. Where available, this package includes unlimited 4G access.
While you don’t actually have to know what 4G LTE means, your choices start to make more sense when you understand that 4Gmeans the fourth generation of data technology for cellular networks ̶ following 3G, the third generation, and thatLTEstands for Long Term Evolution. As for what this might actually mean for you, 4G can be up to 10 times faster than 3G.
FreedomPop on Sprint’s network offers the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2 hotspot for a one time cost of $29.99. They do offer a free monthly plan, but it provides only 200MB per month and it is for a 3G network. More expensive monthly plans range from a 1GB data plan for $13.99 to a 4GB data plan for $39.99. If you want a low cost introduction to mobile hotspots or only need a mobile hotspot occasionally, this might be an option.
Another low cost option is KarmaGo. You can buy the KarmaGo mobile hotspot for a one-time charge of $99. In addition they offer Pulse plansfor a monthly costs ranging from $9.99 for 1 GB a month to $149.99 for 50 GB. If you make your hotspot available to guests (note your data remains private and secure), Karma Go will give you a $1 credit on your monthly bill. For them, giving away that free access is a marketing tool that allows them to show their service to a potential customer.
Prices for WiFi can vary, especially for prepaid data. For example, According to PC Magazine in 2016, $50 will get you 5GB on AT&T and Verizon, 6GB on Sprint, 10GB on Boost (on Sprint's network), and 10GB on T-Mobile. For heavy users, T-Mobile has a 22GB plan for $95, Sprint has a 30GB plan for $110, and AT&T has a 21GB plan for $145.
In Massachusetts, there are alternatives to WiFi, including cable, FIOS, and DSL. Prices and availability vary, but when available, they often give the best combination of price, speed, and reliability though they might still be beyond the means of many members of the adult education community and are only available in one wired location. The world of WiFi is rapidly changing, but it is probably a good guess that the cost of WiFi should continue to decline, and as 5G networks become available, reasonably priced 4G networks should become more common.
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[1]GB=Gigabyte that is defined in the TechTerms - The Tech Terms Computer Dictionary
[2]The term4G LTEis really two terms.4Gmeans the fourth generation of data technology for cellular networks ̶ following 3G, the third generation.LTEstands for Long Term Evolution and is short for a very technical process for high-speed data for phones and other mobile devices