Lawmakers want the federal government to send schools and libraries more money to lend out Wi-Fi hotspots to students. Online schoolwork is now the norm, but the millions of students who dont have home internet or access to computers at home require creative solutions as schools shut down. The digital divide disproportionately affects rural areas, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans on tribal lands. Some are expanding low-cost programs for poor people and lifting data caps so more people can get and stay connected."Even in cities, the high cost of internet access means many go without.. So is her church and the library where she checks email. That leaves 19th-century technology -- her landline phone.Brie Morrissey, who owns a building outfitted with broadband in Dublin, New Hampshire, would prefer to maintain social distance by working from home.In St. Dolan doubts her substandard home internet could manage a remote medical appointment, and these days no one wants to visit the doctor if they can help it.

To help his constituents, he has to get in his car and drive around to get on calls and go on local TV and radio.Digital-access advocates hope that this crisis propels the government to do more to get people connected. An independent group called BroadbandNow pegs it at 42 million.Millions of Americans working from home are learning to use online video in place of face-to-face meetings, but thats not an option for those with only a trickle of data service. In some places, relief was expected later this year.In rural western Alabama, less than 1% of Perry Countys roughly 9,100 residents have high-quality internet at home, so online lessons are out.As schools, workplaces and public services shut down in the age of coronavirus, online connections are keeping Americans in touch with vital institutions and each other. The FCC puts the number at 21 million, but its data is faulty and most likely undercounts the problem. Even the police department has trouble uploading its reports. Din College is lending laptops to students and asking internet providers to improve service. County teachers spent three days manually loading scanned images of math worksheets and other materials on to iPads and Chromebooks for the systems 1,100 students to take home while out of class, said Superintendent John Heard."Many families are not so tech-savvy," she said. City schools are sending some kids tablets equipped with internet service

."I feel very withdrawn, isolated, alone," she said. But Estrella Montanez, who runs the shelter, worries that kids will have trouble managing remote work. Forget streaming Netflix, much less working or studying from home.Such disconnected people "already have to work harder to tread water," said Chris Mitchell, who advocates for community broadband service at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance."I have to tell people to stay home and that we cant accommodate them, which is a hard thing to do for a small business owner in a small town," she said. Most people recover from the virus, but the elderly and those with underlying conditions are more likely to get seriously ill or die.Many more simply cant afford broadband. Even China boundary wire Suppliers Facebook video is a strain. Her senior center, where she plays bingo, does puzzles and gets lunch five days a week, is closed.Although efforts to extend broadband service have made progress in recent years, tens of millions of people are still left out, largely because phone and cable companies hesitate to invest in far-flung rural areas. But thats not much of an option when fast internet service is hard to come by.Julie Dolan, a 65-year-old retiree in Sandwich, has asthma.A cable company is supposed to start servicing Berkshires town Peru, Massachusetts, later this year. "You obviously want to help. "That is all I would have," she says. Louis, Stella Ashcraft, 63, lives from cheque to cheque and cant afford internet. Low-cost local alternatives such as libraries and cafes have shut down. But she keeps heading into the office for the connection, and as a result, is constantly cleaning the place -- wiping down door knobs, the bathroom sinks and "every inch of the building," she says."Students, meanwhile, struggle with a "homework gap" when they cant get or submit assignments, much less watch online lectures or participate in discussions.

"I dont think people appreciated the magnitude of the problem. Paul Mark has only satellite internet now, though, and that doesnt let him videoconference. State Rep. But thats too late to help with the current crisis.55 across 29 nations, according to a 2018 Federal Communications Commission report. Government subsidies in the billions havent fully fixed the problem. And, like many others in his area, he also has unreliable mobile service at home.There are no definitive numbers on those without broadband.A New York City family shelter has no Wi-Fi and 175 school-age children, only 15 of whom have laptops. But following guidelines means for the most part we cant. Then the line went dead. US broadband costs more than in many comparable countries - an average of $58 a month compared to $46.Phone and cable companies have pledged not to cut people off if they cant pay bills and opened their Wi-Fi hotspots to the public. But the FCC says its not authorized to do that under current law and is discussing a solution with Congress. Her husband has high blood pressure.On Navajo Nation, the countrys largest Native American reservation, its common to see people sitting in their vehicles at night outside local government centers, fast-food restaurants and grocery stores to connect to Wi-Fi. Shes gotten texted photos of her newborn grandchild, but forget about a Zoom call to see the baby.New York: In Sandwich, New Hampshire, a town of 1,200 best known as a setting for the movie ‘On Golden Pond’, broadband is scarce.Morrissey avoids other tenants and wont rent space to anyone else."Its a hassle," he said during a recent phone interview from his car as he drove to the Boston statehouse