Among the inequities that have come to the fore during the pandemic is the separation of schoolchildren into the haves and the have nots.

I’m referring specifically to internet access. It is all well and good to conduct classes online, but that only helps if the students have (their own) computers and Wi-Fi access.

This is where citywide universal broadband can help narrow the gap. Not only is it more equitable, it could also lower costs to consumers across the board. Moreover, it might save customers time spent on the phone or meeting with service providers.

Zack Barowitz

Portland