The idea that internet access is a luxury was already demolished before anybody ever heard of COVID-19. But the pandemic — and the demands of switching work, school and medicine from in-person to virtual experiences — made it impossible for state officials to ignore.
The good news is that the Texas Legislature took it seriously, setting up an office to figure out how to expand access to and affordability of high-speed broadband as money for that becomes available, starting with $500 million in federal pandemic relief.
The bad news is that it’s going to be at least a year before the state has made a real difference in getting broadband access to Texans who don’t have it and lowering the price for people who can’t afford internet service that’s available to them.
