Community Broadband Media Roundup - April 6

Arizona

Apache County towns plan Internet collaboration by Amber Shepard, White Mountain Independent

Texas

A digital divide with dire consequences for Texas by Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune

Some of the solutions are creative. WesTex Connect, an internet service provider in Abilene, has set up free Wi-Fi hotspots in parking lots next to football stadiums, at the Abilene Convention Center, in Clyde, in Merkle, at the Farmer’s Co-Op Gin in Stamford and next to a lumberyard in Stamford. More are on the way, the company says, for anyone with schoolwork to do, bills to pay, whatever requires internet access.

Wisconsin

During health crisis, rural Wisconsin struggles with poor Internet service by Peter Cameron, Lake Geneva Regional News

General 

US society needs a broadband big dig to get out of its hole by Rana Foroohar, Financial Times

Those without fast internet struggle in a stuck-at-home nation by Tali Arbel and Michael Casey

In rural western Alabama, less than 1% of Perry County's roughly 9,100 residents have high-quality internet at home, so online lessons are out. County teachers spent three days manually loading scanned images of math worksheets and other materials on to iPads and Chromebooks for the system’s 1,100 students to take home while out of class, said Superintendent John Heard.

As School Moves Online, Many Students Stay Logged Out by Dana Goldstein, Adam Popescu and Nikole Hannah-Jones

COVID-19 proves we need to continue upgrading America’s broadband infrastructure by Blair Levin, Brookings 

Siefer on COVID-19 stimulus: More action needed to connect millions of households by Bill Callahan, NDIA

Rural broadband in the time of coronavirus by Clark Merrefield, Journalist’s Resource

Telecom Industry, Broadband Advocates Push for Internet Subsidies in Next Stimulus by Sam Sabin, Morning Consult