<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Good thought piece from Brookings, echoing an idea I’m seeing a lot; any ideas on how rural areas and NM can figure out how to leverage this trend?<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(16, 16, 16); orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);" class="">I expect we’ll look back on COVID-19 as a wake-up call that broadband isn’t a luxury—it’s an essential utility.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(16, 16, 16); orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);" class="">As policymakers respond to that call, they will aim to fill network gaps through public investment or tighter regulation (as in the electricity sector), and through a new suite of programs to boost subscriptions and distribute devices. We’re already seeing this happen, from internet service providers <a href="https://www.digitalinclusion.org/free-low-cost-internet-plans/" class="js-external-link" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 42, 42); font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(220, 42, 42); text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="icon-external-link" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.125em 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; height: 0.875em; justify-content: center; width: 0.875em; transition: background-color 125ms linear 0s, opacity 125ms linear 0s;"><svg><use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-action-external-link"><svg viewBox="0 0 12 12" id="icon-action-external-link"><g fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" opacity=".75"><path d="M2 2h3v1H3v6h6V7h1v3H2z"></path><path d="M6.211 2H10v3.789L8.579 4.368 6.447 6.5 5.5 5.553l2.132-2.132z"></path></g></svg></use></svg></span>offering discounts</a> to school districts passing out <a href="https://www.axios.com/hotspots-wifi-students-coronavirus-1a08db65-236b-43e8-a5e0-17429a07942a.html" class="js-external-link" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 42, 42); font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(220, 42, 42); text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="icon-external-link" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.125em 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; height: 0.875em; justify-content: center; width: 0.875em; transition: background-color 125ms linear 0s, opacity 125ms linear 0s;"><svg><use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-action-external-link"><svg viewBox="0 0 12 12" id="icon-action-external-link"><g fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" opacity=".75"><path d="M2 2h3v1H3v6h6V7h1v3H2z"></path><path d="M6.211 2H10v3.789L8.579 4.368 6.447 6.5 5.5 5.553l2.132-2.132z"></path></g></svg></use></svg></span>computers and wireless hotspots</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(16, 16, 16); orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);" class="">We can bootstrap interventions for now, but broadband only grows more important as society and the economy continue to digitize. My guess is we’re about to see a great wave of broadband policies—and it can’t come soon enough.</p></div><div class=""><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-covid-19-will-change-the-nations-long-term-economic-trends-brookings-metro/?utm_campaign=Metropolitan Policy Program&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=86407569" class="">https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-covid-19-will-change-the-nations-long-term-economic-trends-brookings-metro/?utm_campaign=Metropolitan%20Policy%20Program&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=86407569</a></div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">David Breecker,</div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">President</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><span><img apple-inline="yes" id="4F71B032-1407-4BD5-8ECB-710F7D81D02E" src="cid:8A267772-F40A-46DC-B764-34AFA932ED45" class=""></span><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><b class=""><font color="#0433ff" class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">David Breecker Associates</font></b></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><b class=""><font color="#0433ff" class=""><a href="http://www.breeckerassociates.com" class="">www.breeckerassociates.com</a></font></b></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><b class=""><br class=""></b></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;">Santa Fe Office: 505-690-2335</div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;">Abiquiu Office: 505-685-4891</div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;">Skype: dbreecker</div></div>
</div>
<br class=""></div></body></html>