A student finishes their homework, opens their Chromebook, and tries to log in, but the internet is slow, the data plan has run out, or the family has to make a difficult choice this month between paying for the internet and covering another household expense.

For many students across the South, the digital divide doesn’t look like a complete lack of internet access. It looks like interrupted connections, limited options, and missed opportunities. As schools continue to integrate technology into learning, the question is no longer simply whether broadband exists in a community. It’s whether families can afford to stay connected.

That question is becoming increasingly important as communities across the country invest in expanding broadband infrastructure. Billions of federal and state dollars are being directed toward improving connectivity. Fiber lines are being extended into rural communities, and public-private partnerships are bringing high-speed internet to areas that were once considered too difficult or too expensive to serve. Progress is happening.

Yet a new report from the Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC-South) at the Southern Education Foundation, informed by data analysis from InnovateEDU, suggests that the digital divide has not disappeared; it has simply evolved.

Read the full report

Today, the challenge is no longer just access; it is affordability.

The report, Digital Connectivity Landscapes in the Southeastern United States: A Comparative Trend Analysis of Broadband Infrastructure and Educational Impact, Access, and Opportunity, examines broadband access and educational connectivity across six school districts in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. While each community faces unique circumstances, a common theme emerges: many families continue to struggle to connect to learning opportunities even when broadband infrastructure is available.

Consider Halifax County, North Carolina. Despite ongoing investments in broadband expansion, only 57.6% of households subscribe to broadband service. In Anniston, Alabama, approximately 21% of households rely primarily on mobile data plans for internet access. For students, that can mean limited data, inconsistent connectivity, and barriers to completing assignments, participating in online learning, or accessing academic resources outside of school hours.

The implications are significant. Technology is now woven into nearly every aspect of education. Students use learning management systems to access coursework, communicate with teachers, complete assignments, and explore college and career opportunities. Families rely on digital tools to stay informed about school events, grades, attendance, and student support services.

When reliable internet access is unavailable or unaffordable, students lose more than a connection. They lose opportunities.

This challenge has become even more urgent following the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which helped millions of households offset the cost of internet service. While broadband infrastructure continues to expand, many families are now facing difficult decisions about whether they can afford to maintain service.

While challenges remain, the report also points to examples of what’s working.

Communities across the South are demonstrating that innovative solutions are possible. In Madison County, Alabama, significant fiber investment fueled by the Huntsville technology corridor has created some of the highest broadband availability rates in the region. In Fayette County, Tennessee, a partnership between Chickasaw Electric Cooperative and Aeneas Internet & Telephone is bringing fiber-to-the-home service to rural communities that historically lacked reliable high-speed internet access.

These examples show what can happen when local leadership, community partnerships, and strategic investment align around a shared goal: ensuring students have the tools they need to succeed.

However,  infrastructure alone will not solve the problem. Closing the modern digital divide requires a broader commitment to digital opportunity. That means helping families navigate affordable internet options, investing in digital literacy, designing learning experiences that function in low-bandwidth environments, and advocating for policies and programs that make connectivity sustainable for all households, not just those who can afford it.

As education leaders, policymakers, and community organizations continue this work, we must remember that connectivity is not simply a technology issue. It is an educational opportunity issue.

The internet has become a gateway to learning, information, and opportunity. Ensuring students can access that gateway, both at school and at home, is essential to advancing educational opportunity across the South.

The wires are coming. The question now is whether every student will be able to plug in.

Read the full report