COVID-19 Shows Broadband Weaknesses in Nebraska's Rural Areas
By Allison Mollenkamp, NET News
July 7, 2020, 5 p.m. ·
Rural communities in Nebraska have waited for better broadband access for years, and COVID-19 exposed that need more than ever before. As schools and businesses moved to remote learning and work, slow speeds became an obvious problem in some areas.
In Arlington, Nebraska, residents say speeds don’t hold up to what’s advertised, and access is not available to all residents.
Niki Herre is village clerk for Arlington. She said the local internet service provider recently applied for a grant to improve service.
“It’s been on our radar to get this taken care of for a long time," Herre said. "But Nebraska came out with this broadband grant program and we decided to try and take advantage of that to try and get some better access for our residents just in case kids end up online again or just in general for people to have that services.”
The grant recipients have not yet been announced, but Herre expects if Arlington is selected broadband could improve in the area by the end of this year.