Internet Regulation Urgent as COVID Spotlights Digital Divide

 The Biden administration’s agenda, already focused on COVID, will face immediate pressure to address a related tech issue: access to home broadband, according to The Washington Post.

The country is in the midst of another pandemic surge and schools and offices are closing their doors again. COVID is highlighting a persistent digital divide, in which Americans without a strong and affordable internet connection are increasingly boxed out of work and education opportunities.  

New President Joe Biden promised during his candidacy he would prioritize expanding internet access as he made fixing the nation’s infrastructure a central tenet of his campaign message. His “Build Back Better” plan calls for the creation of “universal broadband" for every American. That could set the stage for Democrats to make good on a long-standing push to expand federal funding for internet access, noted the Post. Continue Reading