Coronavirus and Connectivity
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/fcc-seal_74.jpg?itok=LwYtNVbL)
FCC Waives Lifeline Rules to Help Keep Low-Income Consumers Connected
The Federal Communications Commission announced changes to the Lifeline program to assist program participants potentially affected by the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and aid community efforts to slow its spread. The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau waived the Lifeline program’s recertification and reverification requirements for participating low-income consumers for 60 days.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/hhs_0.jpg?itok=PsMNTzx8)
HHS Secretary Azar Announces Historic Expansion of Telehealth Access to Combat COVID-19
The Trump Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced unprecedented steps to expand Americans' access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/shlb-logo_8.png?itok=37jNS9Le)
FCC Must Act Quickly As COVID-19 Threatens Healthcare, Education
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition asked the Federal Communications Commission to expedite affordable broadband solutions for unconnected Americans. The novel coronavirus is driving schools to online learning and increasing healthcare providers’ reliance on telehealth solutions.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/rosenworcel_5.jpg?itok=i2d6_X5-)
The FCC should send Wi-Fi hotspots to schools to close the homework gap
The Federal Communications Commission should use its power in this emergency to provide schools with Wi-Fi hotspots to loan out to students who lack reliable internet access at home. It has the authority to do so under the Telecommunications Act. This law, now more than two decades old, directed the agency to set up a program to support internet service in schools across the country, through a program known as E-Rate. Today, E-Rate funds broadband for educational purposes in every state.
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel on staying connected during a pandemic
A Q&A with Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.
Asked, "What are the immediate short-term steps that the FCC and the broadband companies can take, and what are the medium and long-term steps that could help us be better prepared in the future?"
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/josephine-wolff-thumbLarge.png?itok=nkigDvoT)
Our Internet Isn’t Ready for Coronavirus
Just as our public health system appears unable to cope with the spread of the coronavirus, our residential broadband, video conferencing platforms and VPNs are about to face unprecedented strain. That strain will have serious consequences, not just for the performance of our broadband networks but also for student access to education and the security of corporate data and networks. The performance issues might be worse in rural areas, where internet service is already less reliable than it is in big cities.
Coronavirus Fight Lays Bare Education’s Digital Divide
For all of China’s economic advancements in recent decades, the rudiments of connected life — capable smartphones, reliable internet — remain out of reach for large segments of the population.
Lessons From China on the Coronavirus and the Dangers of App Consolidation
While quarantined in her Wuhan apartment for days on end, the woman who calls herself “Sister Ma” suddenly found herself blocked from her account on WeChat, a platform used by more than 1 billion people in China. Without WeChat, she was cut off from communication with friends and family, the ability to order critical supplies, and contact with her children’s school. “My life is falling apart,” she wrote on a now-deleted but archived message on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
Coronavirus Outrage Spurs China’s Internet Police to Action
As China tries to reshape the narrative of its fumbled response to the coronavirus outbreak, it is turning to a new breed of police that carry out real-world reprisals for digital misdeeds. The internet police, as they are known here, have gained power as the Communist Party has worked to seize greater control over the thoughts, words, and even memories of China’s 800 million web users. Now, they are emerging as a bulwark against the groundswell of anger over governance breakdowns that exacerbated the epidemic. Officers arrive with an unexpected rap at the door of online critics.
Tech shapes a new stay-at-home economy
As the coronavirus crisis forces daily life across the US into a new homebound template, the tech industry is swooping in to reshape how we shop, eat and entertain ourselves. Trends toward e-commerce, delivery services and online entertainment have long been underway, but this moment is accelerating them — and pushing the companies and industries behind them into a new position of dominance. The longer our public health crisis lasts, the more deeply these changes will etch themselves into the economy. As one of its side effects, the coronavirus pandemic could seal the fate of the digital ec