According to a report by OpenVault, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven U.S. broadband customers’ average monthly data consumption up 47% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to Q1 of 2019.
News
Congress Punished Rural TV Viewers, and We Will Pay the Price During the Pandemic
For us newly minted shut-ins, TV has become even more of a lifeline as we seek out news on the virus … and a respite from it. For thousands of rural Americans, that lifeline may soon be cut off, leaving their households blind, right at the time we need to see what is going on.
Creation of Innovation: Jamaican Student Invention Can Help Fight COVID-19
Rayvon Stewart, a student at the University of Technology, Jamaica, invented a device that can kill viral cells using ultraviolet light.
Research Peek of the Week: Tech and Telecom Weathering Coronavirus Storm Better than Other Industries
New reporting from GlobalData’s company filing analytics database suggests the effects of the COVID-19 crisis are intensifying for many industries, including retail, automotive, and travel & tourism.
Infographic: American Broadband Networks Prove Resilient Due to Sustained Private Investment
From 2014 to 2018, U.S. broadband providers invested 31% more than their European counterparts. Today, U.S. download speeds are holding steady despite an unprecedented increase in internet traffic due to social distancing.
Creation of Innovation: New Encryption Tech Preserves Privacy While Combating Spread of COVID-19
Riddhiman Das, founder of the encryption company TripleBlind, has developed a new technology that can preserve privacy when community health organizations collect vital health information from smartphones to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
Research Peek of the Week: CFOs Plan to Shift Some Employees to Remote Work Post-COVID-19
According to a new Gartner, Inc. survey of financial leaders and CFOs, nearly three-quarters said they would shift at least 5% of their previous onsite workforce to remote positions after the coronavirus crisis ends and about a quarter said they would shift at least 20% of their on-site positions to remote work.
Creation of Innovation: Students in Taiwan Build LEGO Robot that Helps Kids Wash Hands During Coronavirus
Students in Taiwan built a LEGO machine that utilizes an ultrasonic sensor and recorded audio to encourage kids to wash their hands to defend against contracting and spreading coronavirus.
Research Peek of the Week: Few U.S. Workers Were Offered a Telework Benefit before COVID-19
According to a 2019 National Compensation Survey, a small share of U.S. workers are offered a telework benefit by their employer. Those that do have this perk tend to be higher-income “knowledge workers” and people who do most of their work on computers.
Coronavirus Makes It Clear: We Need to Digitally Empower More Women
With our lives upended by COVID-19, it’s increasingly clear that government, industry and NGO leaders all need to play a role in supporting the transition of millions of women into more tech-centered jobs, and every woman in this country needs access to broadband.
Creation of Innovation: Virus-Killing Robots Using UV Light to Clean Hospitals
AT&T is working with XENEX to add global wireless connectivity to their LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots, allowing them to collect vital performance and operational information that can help reduce infection rates in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Research Peek of the Week: COVID-19 is Reshaping Americans’ Opinions on Telehealth
A recent survey by Skykes on Americans’ perceptions and experiences regarding telehealth found that while few respondents had received telehealth services in the past, a majority expressed an increased willingness to try virtual care in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.