In remote Alaska, broadband for all remains a dream. So a school district got creative

About as far west as you can go in the US before hitting Russia lies the string of Aleutian Islands. It's where the Discovery Channel's The Deadliest Catch is filmed and where most fish destined for restaurants in the continental US gets processed.  A tiny school system in the region, the Aleutians East Borough School District, educates 230 students across four schools. About 85% of the kids are Alaska Native. Traveling between the four schools requires flights on twin-engine planes or, in one case, a flight followed by a helicopter ride. The towns -- Sand Point, King Cove, False Pass and Akutan -- have stunning views and plenty of seafood, an industry that employs most of the residents. 

Reliable internet service would help the islands keep coronavirus at bay by allowing people to communicate and learn at safe, social distances. But the few home internet connections that exist in the area are accessed through satellite delivery, which leads to delays and stutters. Cell service, even in the more urban areas, can drop 10 times a day, estimates school district Superintendent Patrick Mayer. And service is pricey. The school district has gotten creative. It's building its own digital content delivery system that doesn't need internet access. The school district will be able to beam signals to students' homes, sort of like setting up a TV station and equipping homes to tune in over an antenna.