Community Broadband Media Roundup - March 30

Iowa

Virus exposes Iowa’s broadband weaknesses by Rod Boshart, Globe Gazette

Kansas

Wheatland Electric and Wheatland Broadband suspend disconnections for non-payment while addressing coronavirus, The Great Bend Tribune

Minnesota

Lack of broadband access adds to challenges for school districts in Greater Minnesota by Erin Hinrichs, Minnpost

Mississippi 

Mississippi County Electric Cooperative teams with Conexon to deploy fiber-to-the-home network; build-out will provide access to broadband benefits for 5,000 rural Arkansas homes and businesses, Cision PR Newswire

New Hampshire 

Bridging the digital divide: How districts are making remote learning work, Manchester Ink Link 

North Carolina 

Star Communications putting WiFi hotspots in Sampson and Bladen counties by Chris Berendt, Bladen Journal

Virginia

Broadband project approved to proceed, The Gazette-Virginian

Washington

iFIBER’s 'FIRST PRIORITY' program ensures high-speed internet access for students and telecommuters during coronavirus pandemic by Shawn Goggins, iFiberone

Wisconsin 

Wisconsin's internet slowed a bit, but not broken, by coronavirus pandemic by Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 

General 

New law to increase internet access for rural and tribal communities by Emma Gibson, Arizona Public Media

Congress ignores rural broadband, POTs and PANs 

There is no such thing as bad grant money that brings better broadband, and all of the above allocations are welcome. However, none of this money is going to make more than a miniscule dent in the rural broadband issue. The only award that is likely to construct new broadband facilities is the $100 million for the ReConnect grant program.

5G won’t help rural americans shelter in place by Tara Lachapelle, Yahoo Finance

To fight coronavirus, millions more Americans need Internet access by Geoffrey Starks, The New York Times

We should encourage all broadband providers to join the coronavirus-response effort by creating or expanding low-cost options for basic internet connections. Some have already done so, and we must do more for low-income families, who already bear too many burdens of this health crisis and its economic fallout.

Can Wi-Fi hotspots bridge the digital divide under coronavirus? By Ryan Johnston, statescoop

Why the Internet (probably) won’t break during the coronavirus pandemic by Adam Clark Estes, Vox

Libraries want to become broadband havens during the pandemic, but want more help from the FCC by Karl Bode, Techdirt

Go ahead, stream all you want. The Internet is fine—for now by Klint Finley, Wired

At least the Internet hasn't crashed: Ajit Pai on the FCC and COVID-19 by Andrea Peterson, Protocol

Sallet: Coronavirus bill should build lasting broadband future by John Eggerton, Multichannel