Pandemic shows not all internet is created equal

The coronavirus pandemic has driven millions into their homes and forced them to rely on the internet to maintain vital connections with family and friends. But it has also laid bare an underlying problem: spotty, sometimes non-existent wireless service in rural areas – including some places in Madison County (IN) where officials are hearing scattered concerns about internet access from residents who rely on public computers at libraries or community centers. “We have had some people reach out to our office who are concerned with filing for unemployment,” said Christy Clark, executive assistant with the city of Elwood. “They don’t have home computers, the library is closed and stuff. A lot of what we’re doing now is just seeing what we can do to help.”  

As the federal government steps in to help businesses of all sizes with a $2.2 trillion stimulus package, some local officials see an opportunity to make meaningful improvements to the area’s broadband grid. “It’s unfortunate that some of these issues have gone unaddressed for a long period of time,” says Clayton Whitson, president and CEO of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. “But if we’re looking for a silver lining in all this, it’s that we could finally be seeing this come to the forefront of people’s minds as issues to be addressed.”