What to Do for Families With Internet Access Too Slow for Remote Learning

During the COVID-19 school building closures, big equity problems around internet access emerged. But one layer of this equity issue went largely unexplored: Some households have access to the Internet, but only at slow speeds that make school tasks like videoconferencing or completing homework assignments next to impossible. That's especially true for families with multiple children, or for parents using the home internet while forced to work remotely during the pandemic. 

Helping those households get connected isn't simply a matter of the Federal Communications Commission or another entity footing the bill. The fix for those communities will be a long-term effort that involves significant engineering and infrastructure investments. Technology experts have identified 5G connectivity and low earth orbit satellites as possible solutions, but both could be a long way off from widespread availability. Could massive internet service companies play a role? Perhaps, but with limits, said Tyler Cooper, editor-in-chief of Broadband Now, a consumer tool that tracks Internet connectivity nationwide. "If you're a massive internet service provider, it doesn't make financial sense to build a robust fiber network in a town of 5,000 people. You won't see a return on that investment," he said. Cooper believes the solution will ultimately have to be a public-private partnership.