If there is one thing to learn from this coronavirus epidemic, it’s that dependable broadband communication is essential and required for many of the daily tasks of modern living, especially in education. High-quality internet access is significantly lacking in many rural regions across Idaho and without access to high-speed broadband internet at home, students and teachers are forced to find solutions to continue their education and complete assignments. Sadly, many families are forced to travel to libraries and school parking lots for a reliable connection to complete assignments, communicate with teachers, and further their education.
With these barriers in mind, a group of community leaders have come together in an effort called Imagine Idaho, they are working to help underserved communities build reliable broadband infrastructure that will allow these families to access high-speed internet from home. I applaud their efforts in working with elected officials and a number of Idaho organizations and community leaders to create broadband solutions for rural areas. We all must come together to address Idaho’s lack of broadband infrastructure, so a generation of children in underserved, rural communities won’t be left behind in this digital age.
