Wireless Access: A Barrier to Success?

This study investigates the differences in the speed of the Internet among various libraries in rural and urban counties, as well as how this difference affects KSU students' access to educational materials. The primary purpose was to determine how download and upload speeds compare across libraries and what impact those differences have on academic performance. A sample of libraries in counties with over 500 KSU students was selected, and speed tests were executed at two major libraries per county. Data analysis by the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed the presence of considerable differences, with rural libraries like Maude P Ragsdale Public Library, Paulding County, having low speeds compared to urban libraries like Adairsville Public Library and Cartersville Public Library aligning with the findings of Kinney, (2010) and Wang et al. (2022). These findings emphasize the need for infrastructure improvements in rural areas and targeted educational policies to bridge the digital divide. Guaranteed access to the internet on equal terms is highly important for allowing and involving all KSU students in the full range of digital learning resources.