learn anywhere with offline campus

People who lack reliable internet access (or no access at all) make up an extremely large category we call the "unconnected." The overwhelming majority of people are unconnected by circumstances. Others in this category are unconnected by choice. Here are examples of each:

Unconnected from the internet by circumstances:

• People who live in areas where internet is not available (rural or urban)
• People who cannot afford to be connected
• People who suffer from electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and prefer to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF)  
• Refugees that have been dislocated
• People serving in military operations where digital transmissions must be reduced or eliminated for extended periods of time
• People Incarcerated who may only use the internet during prescribed times (if available)

Unconnected from the internet by choice:

• People who reduce their use of the internet due to desired changes in lifestyle
• People who prefer to live off the grid
• People who travel to remote regions for leisure
• People who vacation on cruise ships understanding their use of quality internet may degrade severely when out at sea

The Offline Campus team initially relied on the Federal Communications Commission's reports about people without internet access. Thinking the number of unconnected people seemed a bit too low, led to deeper inquiry where we found the Forbes.com 2020 article entitled, "Report: 42 Million Americans Do Not Have Access to Broadband." In the article, Forbes relied on a data source called BroadbandNow. When comparing each data source (FCC and BroadbandNow), wide swings in the number of unconnected individuals were apparent. Therefore, we listed both numbers so our readers were aware. 

At the end of the day, the position of the Offline Campus team is this: Whether there are 14 million people (according to the FCC) or 42 million people (according to BroadbandNow) in the US lacking internet connection, we aim to help narrow the digital divide my making online education available anywhere.