The internet isn't broken — but its inequalities need to be fixed

The Internet is being tested as never before, exposing serious inequalities in Internet availability and utility. It seems to us vital that these inequalities be remedied, not only in anticipation of the next time the world’s population is forced to “shelter in place” but because these inequalities stifle the innovation and productivity that the Internet makes possible. As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its third month, not only are we depending on the Internet as an essential lifeline but we're also discovering additional productive ways to use it. The COVID-19 pandemic has lessons we should learn: 

1. Internet access should be made ubiquitous, affordable, symmetric and reliable.
2. Local networks (residential and offices) should be upgraded with new equipment.
3. Policies that facilitate the first two objectives should be pursued. 

[Vinton G. Cerf is a vice president and chief internet evangelist at Google. Often called “one of the fathers of the Internet,” he has received numerous awards for his work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Technology, the Marconi Prize and the Turing Award. David S. Isenberg, Ph.D., is the founder of isen.com, LLC, an independent telecom analysis company. He is retired from AT&T Labs Research, where he was a distinguished member of the technical staff. He has served as a senior adviser to the FCC and as a fellow of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.]