How are public schools connecting to the Internet?

Over the years, changes have occurred in the type of network connections used by public schools and the speed at which they are able to connect. In 1996, dialup network connections were used by almost three-quarters of public schools (not shown). By 1999, more schools were using faster dedicated-line network connections. Sixty-three percent of the nation's public schools were connected to the Internet by dedicated lines, 14 percent used dial-up connections, and 23 percent of schools used other connection types, which included ISDN, wireless connections, and cable modems (Table 2). Secondary schools (77 percent) and schools with the lowest concentration of poverty (72 percent) were more likely to connect to the Internet using dedicated lines than elementary schools (60 percent) and schools with the highest concentration of poverty (50 percent).