In term of impact on broadband connectivity, “Covid-19 doesn’t even compare to the Superbowl or series finale of Game of Thrones,” said Federal Communications Commission Advisor Evan Swarztrauber. In other words, we're in a "so far, so good" moment: The internet seems to be balancing increased bandwidth demand with supply. Swarzrauber, policy advisor to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, added that more extreme measures to manage internet connectivity are “not necessary at this time,” praising this outcome as “a testament to the strength of the U.S. broadband networks.”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that 580 broadband and telephone service providers have now taken his Keep Americans Connected Pledge, an increase of 190 from March 19. Chairman Pai also commended providers that have responded to his call to go above and beyond the Pledge by taking additional pro-consumer actions to enhance Americans’ connectivity during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau grants a 21-day extension of time for filing comments and reply comments on the Public Notice seeking to refresh the record in the Restoring Internet Freedom and Lifeline proceedings. With this 21-day extension, comments are due on April 20, 2020, and reply comments are due on May 20, 2020. The FCC is responding to a motion filed by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, California Public Utilities Commission, County of Santa Clara, City of Los Angeles, Access Now, Center for Democracy and Technology, Common Cause, Electronic Frontier Foundation, INCOMPAS, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Next Century Cities, Open Technology Institute, and Public Knowledge requesting a 30-day extension. 

Federal agencies have made significant progress across government to improve broadband access for Americans in the year following the launch of the American Broadband Initiative (ABI). The Trump Administration announced the launch of the initiative in Feb 2019 with the release of the Milestones Report, which outlined commitments made by federal agencies to improve broadband resources. The White House plays a leading role on the ABI and is working to streamline the federal permitting process, leverage federal assets for deployment, and maximize the impact of federal funding, said Greg Watson, Policy Advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). 

Chad Rupe, Administrator of USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, said that USDA has developed streamlined permitting processes with the revised SF-299, enabling it to become a “common application form,” and released a mapping tool showing communications sites on Forest Service land. 

The Department of the Interior reported on developing its Joint Overview-Established Locations (JOEL) Map, which helps users get information on DOI communications assets on federally managed land that may be leveraged to deploy broadband to communities in need. DOI has also been proposing rule changes for streamlining broadband use on public lands while ensuring proper National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis.

Additional progress on broadband mapping is underway at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said Andy Spurgeon, Chief of Operations for NTIA’s BroadbandUSA. He provided an update on the National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM), which was launched in Sept 2019. The NBAM is a platform for developing visualizations of broadband data at various geospatial levels from multiple federal, state, and commercial sources. The map will support broadband planning, funding, and implementation for state and federal policymakers. Thirteen states are participating in the first phase of the project, and plans are underway to add business intelligence and machine learning features to help its users develop better insights on coverage gaps, Spurgeon said.

Students in the Blue Earth (MN) Area Schools district are staying connected with their school communities through a spirit week challenge posted on the district’s Facebook page that’s already been shared 80 times. When it comes to ensuring equitable access to lessons, however, Superintendent Mandy Fletcher says she and her staff are having to put a lot more thought into how they plan to use online platforms. The district became a one-to-one district several years ago. It currently has enough Chromebooks to pair each student in grades 3-12 with their own device. And they have enough in stock to distribute them to younger students whose parents indicated they didn’t have access to a device at home. In that regard, it’s better positioned to support distance learning online than many of its counterparts in Greater Minnesota. But then there’s the connectivity piece. “As far as internet access goes, that’s definitely a concern, given that we are in a rural area,” Fletcher said. Faced with an unprecedented ask — to prepare distance learning plans to allow students to complete their studies from home as the COVID-19 pandemic runs its course, if need be — rural districts are troubleshooting ways to immediately expand internet access to all student households. 

Not only do teachers need to be mindful of bandwidth limitations, but they also need to be mindful of the fact that not all students have access to the internet at home — a barrier that raises equity concerns as well. To troubleshoot, a number of educators have been creating lecture videos that can be downloaded to students’ devices and watched at home without the need for an internet connection.