"US digital divide 'is going to kill people' as Covid-19 exposes inequalities," 13 April 2020

With most of the country on lockdown and millions relying on the internet... research by M-Lab... showed that internet service slowed across the country after the lockdowns. “This is going to kill people,” said Sascha Meinrath, co-founder of M-Lab... In late March, most people in 62% of counties across the US did not have the government’s minimum download speed for broadband internet... “These communities that are underserved are not going to be able to transition to an online workplace or school environment" [said Meinrath]. 

... [S]tudents without access to internet have been forced to roam their home towns looking for open wifi networks... Human Rights Watch said that closing the digital divide was necessary to preserve human rights during the outbreak... ISPs such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T have noted an increase in traffic but said networks are performing well... Sohn, Meinrath and others have testified that the digital divide was exacerbating disparities in the US, but it’s the coronavirus outbreak which has brought these concerns to the forefront.