COVID-19 shows that America’s broadband plan is still in beta

The last time the country faced an economic crisis, Congress saw broadband as a significant tool to jumpstart the recovery. Central to that effort was the 2010 National Broadband Plan, which addressed three fundamental questions: (1) How does our country get broadband networks everywhere, (2) how do we get everyone on those networks, and (3) how can we use broadband to improve the delivery of health care, education, public safety, economic opportunity, and other critical services? As the country continues to struggle with persistent digital divides amid a new economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing need is clear. However, the federal government has not reevaluated or updated the plan in nearly a decade. Fortunately, in early May, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced legislation that, if passed, would require the Federal Communications Commission to update the original plan. An update is long overdue.