U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will give remarks at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association's annual convention and international exposition on Wednesday, June 12, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. He will discuss access and equity in education technology, and the important roles they play in preparing students for the 21st-century global economy.
Duncan also will highlight President Obama's new initiative, ConnectED. The goal of the initiative is to connect 99 percent of America's students to the Internet through high-speed broadband and high-speed wireless within five years, calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize and leverage its existing E-Rate program to meet that goal. With millions of students lacking high-speed broadband access and fewer than 20 percent of educators saying their schools' Internet connections meet their teaching needs, ConnectED will bring high-speed Internet within reach, with a particular benefit for rural communities that have lagged behind in connectivity. ConnectED will play an important role in preparing America's students to compete for jobs in the global economy.