Universal connectivity is still the goal. We need to keep working on long-term solutions.

Coronavirus has caused a seismic shift in everything about life as we know it. Schools, businesses, and non-essential entities are closed indefinitely. As fear and economic uncertainty escalate, so does the need for information. Students have been forced into remote learning programs regardless of whether they are equipped. Before COVID-19, many did not have the requisite tools to complete assignments at home. Now, some of those students, who were already at a disadvantage, will spend the remainder of the school year using smartphones to comply with remote learning mandates. Many small businesses that shut their doors and laid-off employees are unlikely to reopen in their previous forms. Even though some will, that won’t stop the tidal wave of economic devastation headed for their communities. Unemployment claims have already exceeded three million while economists expect job losses to soar to 47 million. Local governments working feverishly to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of those residents are also responsible for protecting their own workforce. It has become clear, if it wasn’t already, that being able to maintain real-time communications during a national emergency is critical. In fact, high-speed connectivity has become the oxygen of those networks.

[Francella Ochillo is the Executive Director of Next Century Cities, a non-profit membership organization founded to support mayors and local officials who work to ensure that every resident​ has fast, affordable, and reliable internet access.]