DOE Increases Internet Speeds for All NYC Schools

What do cutting-edge rigorous classroom instruction, space exploration, and computer-generated (CG) monsters have in common?

GLORIOUS high speed internet!

We are proud to announce a major advancement in our schools’ core digital infrastructure—starting this school year, every NYC public school building now has access to at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) of high speed broadband internet.

This level of connectivity and speed provides new educational possibilities for our students and teachers. For example:

• Multiple teachers connected to the same school network can now download large files at the same time without network slowdowns;
• Schools now have enough bandwidth to host live videoconferences with NASA astronauts in orbit; and
• More NYC middle schoolers can help bring 3-D CG monsters to life.

Five years ago, fewer than 10 City school buildings could provide opportunities like these for their students. Now, thanks to $650 million worth of upgrades across the City since 2013, every one of our 1,300-plus school buildings has the internet capacity they need to bring 21st century technology into the classroom.

In fact, our citywide average minimum network speed is 10 times faster today than it was five years ago. Back then, teachers and students could lose valuable in-class time loading a webpage, a video, or a program—this loss of instructional time was absolutely unacceptable.

Today, these same webpages, videos, and programs can now be downloaded in seconds. Teachers can have 30 students in a class, all on laptops, accessing the internet without any delays. Thanks to these upgrades, schools finally have the foundation for learning needed in today’s hyperconnected world.

Our investments in technology create new horizons for how educators can teach and how students can acquire that knowledge. And we’re not stopping here! Over the next five years, we’re investing an additional $750 million to continue increasing the total internet capacity available to our DOE schools citywide. These upgrades are part of our Equity and Excellence for All initiatives, including Computer Science for All, which are helping to provide every single child, in every classroom, with a rigorous, inspiring, and nurturing learning experience.

To learn more about the sweeping improvements we’re making to the systems and structures that power our school networks, check out the City’s official press release.