1. Monthly archive
  2. April 2020

April 2020

Worried that $2 trillion law wasn’t enough, President Trump and congressional leaders converge on need for new coronavirus economic package

Congressional leaders and the White House are converging on the need for a new assistance package to try to contain the coronavirus pandemic’s economic devastation, fearful that a $2 trillion bailout law enacted in March will have only a limited effect. Democratic Reps are eyeing a package of spending increases that would “easily” cost more than $1 trillion, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said.

Pandemic shows not all internet is created equal

The coronavirus pandemic has driven millions into their homes and forced them to rely on the internet to maintain vital connections with family and friends. But it has also laid bare an underlying problem: spotty, sometimes non-existent wireless service in rural areas – including some places in Madison County (IN) where officials are hearing scattered concerns about internet access from residents who rely on public computers at libraries or community centers.

The Other Homework Gap: Post-Secondary Education During COVID-19

When we think of the homework gap, we tend to think of grade school to high school and omit the 19.9 million postsecondary students across the country.

5G rollout advances despite pandemic, but hazards loom

Coronavirus-related economic disruption and uncertainty could yet slow the pace of 5G deployment in the U.S. — but for now, the major carriers say they're moving full speed ahead. The major wireless carriers say the coronavirus has not altered the pace of their 5G rollouts, but industry observers and federal officials question how long that will remain true. "As a logical matter, I would expect a slowdown," said former Federal Communications Commission official Blair Levin, now a policy adviser for New Street Research.

Op-ed

The Other Homework Gap: Post-Secondary Education During COVID-19

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Amid COVID-19 Outbreak, Reps. Wittman and Johnson Introduce Bill to Increase Access to Broadband

Reps Rob Wittman (RVA-01), along with Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-6), announced the Serving Rural America Act. This legislation would create a five-year pilot grant program at the Federal Communications Commission, authorizing $100 million a year for a total of $500 million over five years to expand broadband service to unserved areas of the country. The Coronavirus outbreak across the nation has further emphasized the need for reliable broadband access in every home in America. 

Congress, Getting the Hang of This

House lawmakers will now have to email-in bills, amendments and other floor materials — a push to protect members of Congress and their staffers and adhere to public health guidelines during the pandemic. “Staff must electronically submit all Floor documents — including bills, resolutions, co-sponsors and extensions of remarks — to a dedicated and secure email system, rather than deliver these materials by hand to staff in the Speaker’s Lobby or Cloakrooms,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced.

© 1994-2025 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.