Fearful of losing federal pandemic dollars, officials from states across the country are rushing to finish projects by the end of 2020 aimed at expanding broadband internet into underserved areas. To comply with the current CARES Act rules, states must have the broadband projects, which can typically take months if not years of planning and construction, up and running by Dec. 30. Efforts are underway in Congress to provide greater flexibility in the funding.

As part of a citywide goal to prevent students from falling behind with virtual learning this school year, San Jose has partnered with AT&T to provide 11,000 hotspots to students and residents who have no internet access at home. Of the 11,000 hotspots, 8,000 will be donated to the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which is working with school districts to identify students who need access to the internet before the new school year starts this month.

At least 18 school systems across Alabama are waiting on more than 33,000 new laptops, currently languishing in customs. Ryan Hollingsworth is director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, the organization representing the superintendents of all of Alabama’s 138 school districts. He said the laptops are being held as part of a human rights dispute. It is unclear what specific human rights dispute is holding up the equipment. The US Commerce Department has taken action over the last few months chiefly against imports made with suspected forced labor.

Currently there are 14 million people living in urban communities in the U.S. who cannot access telehealth service, yet the Federal Communications Commission and USDA will spend $5 billion this year to get telehealth and broadband to 4 million rural households.

The COVID-19 public health crisis has acutely and maybe even permanently changed the way many of us work. The future of the work environment is still unknown but we are increasingly seeing a future where telework, telelearning, and telehealth are valuable commodities for public health and economic resilience. However, short- and long-term investments are critical to improving our current state of work and internet access, both through broadband and increased affordability. Below are some suggestions.

Short-term responses

President Donald Trump signed a new Executive Order to further expand access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in rural communities.

Starry announced its “Fresh Start” debt forgiveness program for broadband subscribers who were unable to pay their broadband subscription fee due to the impacts of the COVID-19 health crisis. The Fresh Start program will wipe away any debt owed to Starry through July 31, 2020 and enable subscribers to start with a zero dollar balance beginning August 1.

As the coronavirus pandemic keeps many schools at least partially online, educators are scrambling to ensure both students and teachers can connect to the Internet. But so far the two parties can't agree on how to make that happen, potentially leaving more than 15 million children without a way to learn this fall.

How can Congress design an infrastructure stimulus that responds to today’s recession while still making forward-looking investments? This brief uses historical data and the earliest indicators from the COVID-19 downturn to make the case for a people-first approach to federal infrastructure stimulus. We specifically recommend that Congress:

Alabama Gov.