Once considered a luxury, high-speed internet is now considered a necessity by many policymakers, said Jade Piros de Carvalho, director of the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. Quality internet is especially valuable in rural communities where it may be required for access to health care and other services.
“I think what the pandemic did is it really highlighted that communities that don’t have broadband aren’t going to be able to innovate in the same way,” Piros de Carvalho said. “They’re not going to be able to grow and thrive.”