Conn. long overdue for internet upgrade

If pivots to survive the pandemic seem endless, imagine what all this would be like if it had happened in the past. “Past” means different things to different age brackets. Younger people might reflexively imagine home entertainment back when Netflix was just a mail service (no, really, that was a thing. Still is).

Anyone who started their career in the final decade of the 20th century might conjure thoughts of trying to work from home while constantly dialing back in through AOL (remarkably, also still a thing), complete with the soundtrack of a static grind that should have been sponsored by Advil.

Those even older are likely realizing how bleak the economy would be if working from home meant endless phone calls on a single landline, and updates on the pandemic were limited to — gasp — radio briefs and the newspaper.

Back in the 1980s, no one even had home fax machines, and connecting to the office network was a folly.

As we count down to a year of working, learning and consulting health experts from home, it’s easy to overlook that Connecticut is not as connected as most people seem to think. A 2018 survey indicates 23 percent of state residents lack high speed internet access. Among Hispanic and Black households, that figure jumps to about 35 percent.

The pandemic didn’t create this problem, it only amplified it. So Gov. Ned Lamont is proposing a bill to give access to high-speed, broadband internet to all Connecticut residents by September 2022.

Lamont pointed out the urgency in the context of telehealth and education. Closing the digital divide doesn’t just mean donating computers to families in need, but the connectivity needed to use them. Without it, many children are denied an education.

Even for the majority of residents with access, Connecticut remains at a disadvantage. Just more than 4 percent of state residents can tap into fiberoptic networks, the prime offering on any high speed menu.

The bill does not call for more construction, but would ease the process for providers to install broadband on utility poles. Companies should embrace this, as it means customer growth.

It will be something of an upgrade to the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). They would have the power to mandate that providers offer access to any residents where they have video licenses. PURA would also claim a greater watchdog role, gaining oversight of customer complaints as well as penalties.

The legislation would likely be in the budget proposal Lamont is to unveil in a few weeks. To some degree, he seems intent to leave some of the details for the industry to sort out. It’s an industry he is familiar with, as he worked in telecommunications for decades before taking office. Legislators must weigh in on the best ways to hold providers accountable.

The internet may be man-made, but it is now as elemental as air, water, fire, earth and space. Everyone needs it to thrive, and so does Connecticut.

A 2018 survey indicates 23 percent of state residents lack high speed internet access. Among Hispanic and Black households, that figure jumps to about 35 percent.