The initiative hinges on reviving the use of “datacasting,” a term that combines data and broadcasting.
In South Carolina, an old-fashioned technology is helping solve the Wi-Fi connection problem — broadcasting. Nearly half a million South Carolinians live in areas that fall below the Federal Communications Commission’s standard for broadband connectivity. In order to bridge this gap, the state applied for one of the Department of Education’s “Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant” awarded to states tackling educational challenges during the pandemic. The state was one of 11 that received the grants — in South Carolina’s case, $15 million to provide all students with access to virtual lessons, even students without access to the internet.
The initiative hinges on reviving the use of “datacasting,” a term that combines data and broadcasting. The technology converts a portion of the broadcast signal to offer a one-way transmission of encrypted IP data, and uses existing network infrastructure. South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV), will transmit files, videos and other computer data to computers using an inexpensive tuner and TV antenna. SCETV, a statewide network of public broadcasting stations, is part of the pilot, along with the South Carolina Department of Education and the company SpectraRep. The concept of datacasting has been around for years, and is used in public safety and other areas across the country, but “we believe this is the first occasion it’s been used specifically to support education,” according to a statement by Anthony Padgett, SCETV’s president and chief executive officer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/education/learning/pandemic-school-remote-learning.html?action=click&module=Features&pgtype=Homepage
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