[1st-mile-nm] Brookings on COVID & broadband

[David Breecker [dba]]

Good thought piece from Brookings, echoing an idea I’m seeing a lot; any ideas on how rural areas and NM can figure out how to leverage this trend?

I expect we’ll look back on COVID-19 as a wake-up call that broadband isn’t a luxury—it’s an essential utility.

As policymakers respond to that call, they will aim to fill network gaps through public investment or tighter regulation (as in the electricity sector), and through a new suite of programs to boost subscriptions and distribute devices. We’re already seeing this happen, from internet service providers offering discounts <https://www.digitalinclusion.org/free-low-cost-internet-plans/> to school districts passing out computers and wireless hotspots <https://www.axios.com/hotspots-wifi-students-coronavirus-1a08db65-236b-43e8-a5e0-17429a07942a.html>.

We can bootstrap interventions for now, but broadband only grows more important as society and the economy continue to digitize. My guess is we’re about to see a great wave of broadband policies—and it can’t come soon enough.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-covid-19-will-change-the-nations-long-term-economic-trends-brookings-metro/?utm_campaign=Metropolitan%20Policy%20Program&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=86407569 <https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-covid-19-will-change-the-nations-long-term-economic-trends-brookings-metro/?utm_campaign=Metropolitan%20Policy%20Program&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=86407569>

David Breecker,
President



David Breecker Associates
www.breeckerassociates.com <http://www.breeckerassociates.com/>

Santa Fe Office: 505-690-2335
Abiquiu Office:   505-685-4891
Skype:  dbreecker

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/1st-mile-nm/attachments/20200416/acd67fc8/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PastedGraphic-7.png
Type: image/png
Size: 7371 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/1st-mile-nm/attachments/20200416/acd67fc8/attachment-0001.png>