Tech Post-COVID: "Things Have Changed. I'm Not Sure They ever Go Back."

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) said the coronavirus pandemic could forever change the importance of expanding broadband connectivity and bolstering the security of digital networks. “Things have changed. I'm not sure they ever go back to exactly the way they were before,” he said. The timeline to bring some businesses and school districts online has sped up, for instance, as they offer new remote learning and work-from-home options. Those coronavirus-era changes could become the norm. “With tighter, leaner budgets for most businesses, they're going to be looking at what they were able to accomplish during this period with online communication capabilities,” Rep Walden said. “I'll bet a bunch of them say, ‘You know what, that actually makes a lot more sense all the way around.’” That means funding for broadband initiatives should be a priority for Congress — whether or not lawmakers enact a fourth phase of coronavirus relief, Rep Walden said. He said Congress has pumped a lot of money into the economy and handed agencies a record number of directives in recent stimulus legislation, and Washington needs time to “digest” before more legislation is passed. “If there is a phase four or if it's called something different, we need to continue our push to connect America and connect America at high speeds,” he said.