72% of E-rate applicants describe Wi-Fi as an “absolute requirement” for their school or library, according to a nationwide survey of E-rate applicants. Applicants were asked to describe the need for Wi-Fi in their school or library system with a ranking from 1 to 10, with 1 signifying “not needed” and 10 signifying “absolute requirement”. More than 72% of respondents gave Wi-Fi a 10, indicating that Wi-Fi is an absolute requirement for their organization’s mission.
More than 1,000 respondents took part in the survey. The results are included in the FY2016 E-rate Trends Report which is available in hard copy or electronic form.
Respondents were also asked about the age of their Wi-Fi network. 28% responded that their Wi-Fi was four or five years old and 16% indicated their Wi-Fi network was more than five years old.
