Expanding Connectivity to Fight COVID-19: Recommendations for Governments and Telcos

Access Now released "Expanding connectivity to fight COVID-19: recommendations for governments and telcos", a series of recommendations for telecommunications companies and governments that could help prevent people from losing their connections and improve connectivity, drawing lessons from the experiences of users at risk around the world. The recommendations include:

• Telecommunication companies (telcos) should ease financial burdens on customers
• Telcos and governments should ensure access to a free and open internet, following the principles of Net Neutrality
• Governments should not shut down the internet under any circumstances
• Governments should make it easier for people, particularly in low-income communities, to access the internet

The report features case studies from around the world — from Pakistan to Uganda, Canada to Argentina — to highlight both beneficial and harmful connectivity-related responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative that everyone, especially those in at-risk or under-served communities, such as low-income people, have access to a high-quality internet connection.