Prior to COVID-19, I interviewed individuals experiencing the digital divide phenomenon and were also avid public library users. I learned that their public library supported their needs on a daily basis.

As states began to more systematically document the demographics of those falling ill, it quickly became clear that Black and Latinx communities were far more likely to suffer the lethal impact of the virus. But, today, most technological innovations remain strangely ‘colorblind’ to the reality that racial inequalities play a significant role in where COVID-19 makes the most significant impact.

The coronavirus has exposed a deeply rooted problem in childhood education that could damage our national economy long after the pandemic subsides. Broadly speaking, that problem is a lack of preparedness for the future. As the private sector grows increasingly digitized with each passing year, many American students lack even a basic understanding of digital technologies, and are becoming less qualified for the thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs that will soon dominate America’s mid-century economy.

Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the National Broadband Plan for the Future Act, legislation that instructs the Federal Communications Commission to update the National Broadband Plan to expand internet access across the US and study how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the online lives of Americans. “Universal access to reliable, affordable, and high-quality internet is essential in today’s world, and it’s especially needed as we conduct more of our personal and professional lives online during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo.

Nearly 12 million urban household have no access to telehealth, but Federal agencies earmark billions for broadband and telehealth grants targeted to 3.8 million disconnected rural households. Urban communities demand parity with rural community for these grants that their tax dollars and telephone bills support. COVID-19’s disproportionate killing of Black people has thrown into stark relief the many health issues afflicting this population, afflictions that telehealth can mitigate.

How will students from low-income families connect to the internet to learn from home if they can’t attend school physically this fall? What role can school systems play in ensuring home broadband access for all students, given the budget crisis many districts will be facing next year? The simplest solution would be for the Federal Communications Commission to lift the restrictions barring E-rate recipients from using their networks to extend broadband service into students’ homes.

The broadband market has finally been anointed as the ultimate “centerpiece” of everything people do. The first bill paid each month is not to a mortgage company, a religious institution or a credit card. It is to the broadband provider. Independent service providers that target the multifamily industry are going to see their target markets shift views in several ways once this is over. Specifically, I believe there will be a surge of new bulk internet agreements added to hundreds of communities. I believe these plans will include much higher speeds – 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps or even higher.

School districts are taking it upon themselves to help families get connected to the internet as they face down a long future of virtual learning. Most schools don't even know which students are lacking internet service, and the neediest families are often the hardest to reach. Perhaps the most ambitious initiative is a $50 million, public-private partnership in Chicago, which aims to provide 100,000 public school students with home internet service for four years. The most successful districts have maximized their purchasing power by partnering with other nearby districts or municipalities

49 organizations spanning multiple industries announced they have joined forces as part of a new coalition dedicated to helping close America’s digital divide.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city leaders announced that NYC will accelerate broadband deployment in all five boroughs, prioritizing public housing communities, which have suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic. NYC will make a historic $157 million investment in ending digital redlining and providing high-speed internet, including $87 million redirected from the NYPD budget. This investment will extend new internet service options to 600,000 underserved New Yorkers, including 200,000 NYCHA residents over the next 18 months.