Centering on Coronavirus: The Digital Divide

05/26/20 • 36 min

The COVID-19 pandemic has made Americans even more reliant on stable high-speed internet connectivity to work from home, participate in online classes, or entertain themselves as they quarantine. Since January 2020, broadband consumption during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. has risen by more than 50%. For the most part, the internet has held up to the recent influx of traffic. However, millions of families still lack reliable or affordable broadband access, which is making them even more economically and socially vulnerable than they were before this crisis. In this paper, The New Center explores America’s suddenly urgent digital divide problem and how to bridge the gap.

Previous Episode

Centering on Coronavirus: Interview with Dr. Ashish Jha

Dr. Ashish Jha is the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, a practicing physician, and the incoming Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Jha took time out of his busy schedule to talk with New Center policy analyst Julia Baumel about all things COVID-19 testing. Our conversation takes a look at the current state of testing in America, the factors that led it to fall behind the testing curve, and what our government needs to do to get back ahead of it. The full interview transcript is available on our website here: https://newcenter.org/centering-on-coronavirus-podcast-dr-ashish-jha-on-covid-19-testing/

Next Episode

Centering on Coronavirus Podcast: The Expansion of Telehealth

Traditionally a supplementary and underutilized form of health care delivery, telehealth is now one of the frontline pillars of defense against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the potential applications of telehealth extend far beyond the current moment. The New Center policy analyst Olive Morris checks in with Mei Kwong with the Center for Connected Health Policy to explore the potential of telehealth during and after this crisis.