BROADBAND ACCESS IS A STRUGGLE FOR NOT ONLY RURAL AREAS BUT URBAN TOO. A PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDER CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT ITS ECONOMICAL TO BRING INTERNET TO A RURAL AREA BECAUSE THE COST OF INSTALLATION MAY OUTWEIGH THE ACTUAL PROFIT. FOR URBAN AREAS, AFFORDABILITY IS THE ISSUE WHEN GAINING INTERNET ACCESS.
MATT WieRteL IS THE DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING AT VELOCITY NETWORK AND SAYS THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A WHILE.

"It is a problem. I've been in this industry for 20 years and its been a problem since i started in this industry. we're chipping away at it but there's not ubiquitous coverage," says Wiertel. 

FOR TRACEY HART'S THIRD GRADE CLASS IN FRANKLIN school district SHE SAYS HER STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH CONNECTIVITY TOO. 

"We need them to be online if they can't be in person. They can't be online if they don't have internet access and we can't get to all of our kids that don't have internet so they will fall behind then it will be our job to catch them back up again," says Hart. 

FOR AREAS ALL OVER, GETTING BROADBAND MAY TAKE MONTHS EVEN YEARS.

"It's not going to be immediate, they can't build to 500,000 homes or however many homes need service in a matter of weeks, it's going to take years. so i think the pandemic has pushed things a lot faster," says Wiertel. 

ONE GOOD THING FROM THE PANDEMIC? A POTENTIAL 6.8 BILLION DOLLARS THROUGH THE FEDERAL E-RATE PROGRAM IN THE NEXT COVID PACKAGE TO TRY AND CLOSE THE HOMEWORK GAP MANY STUDENTS IN ERIE ARE FACING. 

"If that happens that'll potentially be a game changer for not only rural students but urban students as well to gain internet access," says Wiertel. 

If the next COVID-19 relief bill is passed, many rural and urban areas could see internet access that haven't seen it before.