Congress Should Invest in Internet Connectivity for Underserved Students | Opinion Tim Scott
, Republican senator, South Carolina On 12/18/20 at 7:00 AM EST
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted disparities throughout our country in issues from health care to education. As we seek to address these disparities, we need to prioritize closing existing gaps in access to high-speed internet, particularly for rural and underserved communities.
When it comes to education, far too many of our nation s students are living without basic broadband internet connections. Today, this lack of access adversely impacts more than 20 million Americans, including 600,000 in my home state of South Carolina. After the onset of COVID-19 closed schools and libraries that typically provide free internet access, 40,000 students in the Palmetto State faced academic challenges due to at-home connectivity issues.