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Covid-19 shows how broadband inequality hurts education – Source fastcompany.com

If you live in an urban setting on the East or West Coast, you would be forgiven for thinking the U.S. does not have a connectivity issue. Fast broadband is available (though not necessarily affordable) for most people.

Other parts of the country, however, have a much less consistent experience when it comes to getting fast broadband. For many, internet connections range from low speed to no connection at all. A study undertaken by Microsoft back in 2018 showed that over 160 million Americans did not have access to broadband (under the FCC’s definition of 25 mbps download speed).

The recent shelter-in-place orders, which have resulted in most schools being closed, highlight how this disparity of access truly impacts people’s lives, as many children are deprived of one of their human rights: education.

Internet access has grown in importance as we’ve begun to shift much of what we did in real life to a digital format. People rely on apps for food shopping, ordering from local…

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Source : fastcompany.com

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