An estimated 324,000 rural Marylanders don’t have access to high-speed internet, according to a 2019 report from a state task force.

Fifteen members of the House Commerce Committee sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to provide unlimited voice minutes and mobile data to Lifeline recipients, with a corresponding increase in the support amount to cover incremental costs, for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lifeline program helps low-income Americans afford phone or internet service, but during COVID-19,  the program must be supercharged to accommodate new necessities. Given the importance of connectivity and remote learning, working, and healthcare during the pandemic,

More than two dozen Members of the House wrote to Congressional leaders requesting that CARES Act funding be eligible for permanent broadband infrastructure construction -- and that Congress provides additional time for the buildout of new infrastructure. 

Associate Professor Colin Rhinesmith’s research on broadband access, wireless hotspot lending, and digital equity has new relevance and importance in light of the pandemic. “The most relevant work I’ve done is around the cost of broadband internet access,” says Rhinesmith.

Key findings in the OpenVault Broadband Insight Report for the second quarter of 2020 (2Q20):

The State Finance Council approved $60 million in grants to better beef up the state’s broadband infrastructure, although lawmakers acknowledge it won’t fully address the scope of the problem in rural Kansas. The money will come from the state’s allotment of federal CARES Act funding and will be funneled out in two separate grant programs. One, a $50 million pot, will aim to bolster internet speeds in underserved areas, while the remaining $10 million is designed to specifically help low-income residents.

Over 100 organizations and individuals, led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, have signed on to a letter warning about the downside of remote learning in the age of COVID-19 and beyond. As some school districts pull back on reopening in person due to spikes in the virus, privacy and other groups are warning parents and schools to "look past simplistic solutions peddled to increase EdTech profits, and find ways to limit students’ time on digital devices." Their concern is the push for remote learning will translate to EdTech companies capturing more children's data, crowd teac

A group of the nation's leading technology associations sent a joint letter to Congressional leadership urging the passage of two crucial pieces of legislation that will help connect families in unserved areas to high-speed broadband internet:

A push from an advocacy group for children in Ohio’s Appalachian region and two former governors has led Gov Mike DeWine’s (R-OH) administration to decide to expand broadband services to students without requiring school districts match 50% of their allocations. When the DeWine administration initially launched its plan to use a $50 million grant from federal CARES Act funds to purchase Wi-Fi hot spots and internet-enabled devices late in July, officials set a 50% match contribution for school districts to access the money.

The stay-at-home orders that were widespread in April due to the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a surge in data traffic for regional operator US Cellular. The company reported that data traffic on its network increased 20% to 25%.