The Public Library Association and Microsoft announce initiative to help expand internet access in rural communities during COVID-19 crisis
The Public Library Association (PLA) and Microsoft announced a new initiative to increase access to technology in rural communities during the COVID-19 crisis. Microsoft will provide funding to help public libraries in rural communities extend Wi-Fi access by installing public Wi-Fi access points on or near library grounds. According to a recent survey of public library responses to COVID-19, less than 40 percent of public libraries have located Wi-Fi access points outside their buildings, and only 8 percent reported trying to expand that service.