As we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel for US “re-opening” by the fall, there will be multiple assessments in the coming months about what changes the pandemic has wrought.
One of the most promising is the efforts by US local, state, and federal government…school districts… and teacher’s unions… finally taking seriously the downfalls of digital divides, and unaffordable access. There are affordable access programs in federal legislation apparently on the way, and also in some state budgets, school district plans etc… to apply serious $$$ to fix the access roadblocks for those students living in poverty and/or rural areas.
This article below talks about one such legislative push, which seems likely to become law in NM this spring at some point.
Of course, when politics is involved, actual outcomes will vary as has been the case for a decade or more of “big talk, little walk” re NM affordable access.
Similar realities have prevailed over much of the US, partly through an FCC doing monopoly telecom bidding. There are some signals that an FCC more responsive to the needs of the country as a whole is newly taking the FCC reins. Not to say that this means we can count on affordable access becoming the law of the land. Lobbyists will be busy.
New Mexico Senate passes bill for new broadband office | KRWG