Broadband access gets a boost
The lack of high-speed broadband connections in many rural communities came sharply into focus when the pandemic ramped up in March.
But now, the issue is coming back around with school reopenings on the horizon, and with many still accessing remote health care and teleworking.
On Wednesday, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced $2 million in grants to help consumers extend telecommunications lines to their homes. The Line Extension Customer Assistance Program (LECAP) provides up to $3,000 to each qualifying applicant to cover the customer cost portion of a line extension. Lawmakers approved the program in June in response to the pandemic.
Hundreds of Vermonters live just out of reach of existing high-speed networks and can't afford to extend a line, the governor's announcement noted. The LECAP program seeks to bridge some of those gaps.
“For the teacher or student living at the end of the dirt road with no internet access, the LECAP could be a lifeline,” said June Tierney, Vermont's commissioner of Public Service. “This is a great opportunity for qualifying Vermonters who need broadband service but have not been able to afford the full cost of a line extension.”
With Congress debating relief packages in the trillions of dollars, $2 million doesn't sound like a lot. But now more than ever, every dollar counts. That's especially true with high-speed broadband access, which is one of today's biggest education access issues.
At the end of March, more than 12 million of the 55 million U.S. students who were sent home for remote learning did not have home broadband access, according to the Brookings Institution. In the same article, the public policy group makes the case for more funding in the next federal relief bill.
"Congress should appropriate funding to local communities to fill in the 'blind spots' of broadband connectivity for schools," writes Nicol Turner Lee of the Brookings Institution.
Whether or not that happens, virtual learning is a need that will only increase in the future, and at the present moment, it's an urgent need. We can't afford to lose sight of it, with at least partial remote learning being the new reality for many students. The LECAP funding is a step in the right direction, and now is the time for the nation to build on it.
For details about how to qualify for the LECAP, Vermonters should call the department at 800-622-4496 or visit the LECAP webpage. All line extensions funded through this program must be completed on or before Dec. 30, 2020. Find additional information through the Department of Public Service.
— Gareth Henderson
