Coronavirus, closures highlight importance of internet access in Aiken County

As schools are mothballed, businesses close, colleges move wholly behind a computer screen and cocktail hours are increasingly held at a distance and on couches, the need for digital connectivity has seemingly never been greater. The coronavirus pandemic has upended societal norms, pushing countless workers, students and parents-turned-teachers online. The virus outbreak has put internet access at "the top of the list," said State Rep. Bill Taylor, "because broadband, having an internet connection, is now a critical need. I mean, this falls into the same category as having water, having electricity. And without this, you are literally in a desert of information." Taylor, a Republican, represents South Carolina House District 86, a largely rural region in Aiken County's northeast. It's not unusual, he said, for his constituents to leave home to make a call or get online. But what was once a nuisance or inconvenience is now a potential liability.