Broadband already powers much of our modern lives, but COVID-19 has acted as an accelerant, a fuel of sorts that has driven many essential activities online. The most significant way to move the dial for Americans without broadband is by changing policy at the federal, state and local level, not only for more funding but to remove roadblocks so that broadband can reach rural and underserved Americans faster.

Representatives of rural and Native communities share stories about the experience of lacking a broadband connection when the service is necessary to work, study, and obtain healthcare, safely. These brief anecdotes illustrate the negative impact that substandard service or lack of service has on the safety and wellbeing of rural and Native communities in general, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors offer the Federal Communications Commission 12 recommendations:

Short-Term Recommendations

The Federal Communications Commission announced that it is partnering with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to promote the use of $50 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help address the digital divide during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The agencies will team up to raise awareness of these funds among libraries and Tribal organizations, which can use them to increase broadband access in their communities.

COVID-19 related network anomalies have returned to pre-Covid springtime levels, according to the latest Verizon Network Report. Over 776 million calls were made and 5.87 billion texts sent on May 18, showing a significant decline from peak pandemic volumes.

Legal battles between cities and states are expected to intensify in the coming months with dust-ups over municipal broadband networks and other issues. After some high-profile disputes with governors over pandemic-related restrictions, some mayors are emboldened in pushing back on state laws prohibiting city-level policies that, they say, will be important to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Many of us have been putting up with a persistent annoyance: a lousy internet connection. Average internet speeds all over the world have slowed. Some broadband providers are feeling crushed by the heavy traffic. And dated internet equipment can create a bottleneck for our speeds. What’s causing your slow speeds — your internet provider or your equipment at home? Here’s a method to figuring that out.

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly and Rep. Suzan DelBenne (D-WA) agreed that the US government needs to help expand internet access to more households as the coronavirus pandemic exposes significant gaps in coverage. Commissioner O'Rielly said that while many classrooms, doctor’s offices and workplaces have moved online, about 20 million Americans don’t have broadband. “COVID-19 didn't bring this issue upon us, but it's made it more prominent.” He said that lack of equipment and affordability are the main obstacles for households who aren't able to log on.

Like many school districts nationwide, COVID-19 forced the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) to brainstorm ways to provide internet access for families in need. It partnered with Wander, a company with high-speed internet options at $25 per month, to provide free access to its fixed wireless networks for the remainder of the school year.

The Senate Commerce Committee approved a handful of communications-related bills May 20, favorably recommending them to the full Senate for a vote and passage. Approved bills include:

Internet providers like Charter and Comcast have introduced offers of free and low-cost internet with great fanfare in the last several weeks. The companies have said they want to help connect poor Americans during a pandemic that has shifted much of life online. Schools and community organizations have aggressively promoted the offers. Scores of customers have tried to sign up. But people signing up for the programs have encountered unexpected difficulties and roadblocks, according to interviews with people who have tried to sign up or who have helped them.