by editorial
Low Earth orbiting satellites may soon help Alaska to achieve a task force goal.
COVID-19 has focused our attention on the plight of students struggling to go to school on the internet. It’s been worse in rural Alaska, where kids have huddled outside closed schools, trying to pick up a Wi-Fi signal to complete their homework assignments. And their parents depend on the internet, too. Like urban folks, they use it to order groceries, clothing, and medications. They use it to attend Zoom meetings and, of course, to watch television and movies — needed entertainment on a stormy winter night. Like their city friends, rural residents need high-speed internet service. It’s called broadband.