Stories

Every day, through our computers and mobile phones, our televisions and smart devices, broadband keeps us connected, working, and entertained. During the COVID-19 crisis, it has been a lifeline, allowing schools to operate, families to keep in touch, businesses to keep selling, and the public to stay informed. It seems virtually impossible to imagine how we would have weathered the pandemic without it. But behind the obvious benefits brought to us by blazing fast internet, broadband provides other fundamental gains – ones that are no less important for being less visible. Thanks to the recently released Investing in America report, let’s take a look at three of broadband’s hidden advantages.

Throughout the pandemic, popular platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts have not only kept us learning, playing, and communicating – they have quite literally kept the world economy afloat. All of this has been made possible by a robust broadband infrastructure that kept the communication going even in the face of increased internet use of up to 40% in general and an amazing 300% on videoconferencing applications. This phenomenon underscores a fundamental point: in today’s society, a broadband connection is no longer an option; it’s an essential. So how exactly has videoconferencing changed our society over the course of the pandemic? And what does a future of superfast internet mean for the further development of these platforms? Let’s take a look.

As we return to the parks, stadiums, open-air eateries, and other venues, demand for outdoor Wi-Fi is set to skyrocket. Let’s explore why access to outdoor Wi-Fi is so important—and how to ensure it is there for people when they need it.

Life on a farm conjures up idyllic images of communing with nature, working the land, and getting back to what’s essential. Increasingly, however, a successful farm is dependent on another factor: highspeed internet.

More clearly than ever before, the last 15 months of pandemic crisis have demonstrated that broadband is not a luxury but a necessity, one that enriches education, improves social mobility, and increases economic growth. In honor of #WorldWifiDay on June 20, we’re offering seven stats that reveal the critical importance of broadband in our lives.

With each passing year, broadband is getting faster, cheaper, and more widely available. Although we still have a way to go to ensure that every American has access to broadband, it is worth taking a moment to look at how far we’ve come.

The public-health crisis of the past year has made it clear: broadband internet is an essential service and while millions of Americans have relied on their broadband connections for work, school and to stay connected with loved ones, some Americans still do not have access to high-speed connections. Broadband providers leaped into the breach, launching a series of programs in partnership with governmental agencies and community organizations to get families connected and close those gaps. And now, those same providers are working with the Federal Communications Commission in a promising new initiative: the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.

Although the COVID pandemic has been rough on many industries, theater, with its in-person performances and crowded auditoriums, is one of the areas that has been most affected. Across the nation, actors, companies, and venues have struggled with cancelled seasons and vanishing audiences while expenses, like rents and payrolls, have not disappeared.