Commissioner Starks On State And Local Stay At Home Orders

In support of their public health efforts, states are implementing increasingly strict orders to stop non-essential business and keep residents at home. Both California and New York have, consistent with the guidance of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, identified telecommunications as essential infrastructure that must be supported even as other activities are restricted. I encourage all state and local officials to adopt this approach. Around the country, dedicated teams are working under challenging circumstances to expand access to communications networks. That critical work must continue as long as it can be done safely. For the tens of millions of Americans on the wrong side of the digital divide, gaining access to school, work, and medical care in this difficult time depends on those efforts.