To Fight Coronavirus, Millions More Americans Need Internet Access

One instruction remains consistent and clear during the coronavirus pandemic: Stay home. For many of us, that means taking our daily activities — work, school, medical care and connecting with loved ones — online. But not for everyone. The coming weeks will lay bare the already-cruel reality of the digital divide: tens of millions of Americans cannot access or cannot afford the home broadband connections they need to telework, access medical information and help young people learn when school is closed. When public health requires social distancing and even quarantine, closing the digital divide becomes central to our safety and economic security. Eliminating the digital divide permanently is a long-term problem that requires sustained resources and commitment. But the federal government and the technology and communications sector should work together — right away — to take immediate, emergency actions to get high-quality broadband into homes in communities hit by the coronavirus. We should rapidly use the Universal Service Fund to increase the stock of lendable free hotspots available through schools and public libraries, expand the reach of telemedicine, and enhance Lifeline, the only federal program with the sole mission of bringing affordable communications to low-income Americans and a critical aspect of our social safety net in times of economic turmoil.