Faster home broadband but how does it affect education attainment?

Summary

Governments around the world are currently committing substantial amounts of public funds to increase available broadband internet connection speeds. In the UK, the Government is currently investing over £1 billion in providing superfast broadband coverage to 95 per cent of households by 2017. Both the European Union and the United States of America have similarly ambitious plans to increase access to broadband services providing download speeds of 30Mbps or above.

These policies are motivated by claims that high-speed internet is crucial to achieving policy objectives in two key areas: education and growth. This study provides evidence on whether improved broadband speeds actually improve educational outcomes.