If you are interested in a good collection of links regarding the Digital Divide and different levels of Internet access, eMediaWire has published several recent research findings: US Broadband Penetration Jumps to 58.5% in April. Separating home access from office access may give us a more accurate indication of what students are able to do.
Home Connectivity in the US:
Most active Internet users connect from home with broadband connections. Among narrowband users, 33.9% use 56Kbps modems, 5.12% use 28/33.3Kbps, and 2.52% use 14.4Kbps modems. In total, 41.54% of home users in the US connect to the Internet at 56Kbps or less.
Work Connectivity:
As of April of 2005, of those connected to the Internet, 81.33% of US users at work enjoy a high-speed connection, down 0.2 percentage points from the 81.53% share in March. At work, 18.67% connect at 56Kbps or less.