Has COVID-19 confirmed it’s time to make high-speed internet a public utility?

New pandemic-induced dependence on robust internet connectivity has shone a light on the stark inequities of broadband access and helped spur a new focus on addressing a long-standing question — why isn’t internet service a public utility with the same support, disbursement, and regulation afforded to other basic necessities like water, electricity and telephone service? While federal COVID-19 relief funding has helped Utah school administrators navigate some of the challenges raised by pandemic-related remote learning, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson said much more needs to be done. “We have to treat broadband as an essential utility, like electricity, in order to bridge the digital divide and resulting knowledge gap for families,” Dickson said.