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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2020)
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 5 The internet access gap is wide — and has an impact By Sue Stafford Correspondent The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright and broad light on how much the aver- age American relies on the internet. The gap between who has access to the inter- net and who doesn9t has been highlighted. <The COVID-19 crisis has revealed that Americans everywhere need universal, reliable, affordable, and high- speed internet to do their jobs and participate equally in remote school learning,= said Sally Jewell, former Interior Secretary under President Obama. <Thirty-nine percent of households, roughly 23 million Americans, do not have access to high-speed internet.= In a study done by Microsoft, they found the percentage to be much higher because of the way the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) calcu- lates users, using census blocks which are not terribly accurate for a study like this. Broadband access, or lack thereof, impacts educa- tion, healthcare, agriculture, small and large businesses, social connections, emer- gency/weather notifications, entertainment and support of sustainable jobs for rural, low-income urban, and tribal inhabitants. For those who can9t access the internet due to lack of infrastructure and/ or expense of equipment and service, they are at a distinct disadvantage in many areas of their lives. COVID-19 has exacerbated issues of connectivity. Telemedicine has proven to be a valuable tool in the field of healthcare during this time of pandemic and will likely change the face of medical care long after the coronavirus pandemic is tamed. For people who live a long distance from their healthcare providers or are unable to leave home due to age or infirmity, telemedicine brings the necessary contact with their doctors into their homes. The shutdown of the schools from pre-K through college due to COVID-19 has presented a daunting challenge to educators and students. The virtual class- room has become the norm, at least temporarily. But for those teachers and students without available internet ser- vice, they are shut out of the classroom. Some schools have pre- pared study packets but with no virtual in-class time with their teacher and other stu- dents, learning, socializing, and with the ability to ask questions, the education of those students lacking inter- net connection is greatly hampered. Based on another study, depending on locale, it is esti- mated that anywhere from 40-70 percent of residents lack connectivity, illustrat- ing how a public health cri- sis has brought to light a technological one. Millions of Americans lack basic broadband or simply can9t afford it. Nearly one in five students between kindergar- ten and 12th grade do not $3 OFF have computers or fast web connections, according to data compiled by the Pew Research Center in 2018. This gap disproportionately plagues low-income families and people of color. The con- sequences of the gap between those who have access to vir- tual learning and those who do not may be felt for years to come. The Sisters School District makes sure that every student without a computer receives a Chromebook, and, if they don9t have internet availabil- ity, they are provided with a personal hotspot. That pro- gram was started several years ago with a grant of $10,000 from Hoodoo Ski Area and is now a part of the district9s operating budget. This fall, the virtual classrooms will follow a set schedule with attendance taken every day. There are two sections of three core classes that meet online twice a week in the morning. On Friday, teachers are available online to answer questions from students, provide extra help, and provide parent edu- cation on how to help their students. Last spring, when the schools first closed due to the coronavirus, a number of local Sisters businesses began offering Wi-Fi access to students who didn9t have it available. Internet connectivity pro- vides farmers and ranchers with important information regarding weather predictions and warnings, government programs, advances in crops and cultivation, new infor- mation on plant and animal RESERVE A DATE NOW! diseases, connections to their neighbors, and the ability to do banking and other busi- ness functions, avoiding long drives into town. Some of the newer farm equipment has AI (artificial intelligence) embedded, operating entirely from a hand-held device, improving the viability of the farmers9 operations. As COVID-19 spread across the county, the sup- ply chain from farm to con- sumer began to weaken. Without internet, the farmers who have the food can9t eas- ily connect with suppliers. Without internet, they can9t turn on a dime to make nec- essary adjustments. Government offi- cials and farm and ranch representatives believe that the food producers9 ability to thrive is reliant on reliable access to broadband, not only for their businesses but for healthcare and their children9s education. One official stated that internet access is the life blood of their operations, as it is for many businesses. For those who can do their jobs from home, the internet acts as an economic lifeline. For those unable to go to work during the pandemic, if they could do work online but don9t have internet connectiv- ity, working from home is not a possibility. The increased use of home computers dur- ing the pandemic has created problems for some users 4 a story for another day. 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