Pandemic response lays bare America's digital divide

While people are being advised to work from home or tap into resources online, this is wildly impracticable for those without reliable web access

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As disruptions to daily life in the US continue because of the coronavirus, officials have gone far beyond urging social distancing, enacting policies that make activities such as studying and working dramatically more reliant on digital platforms.

While the internet provides opportunity for many to live with some modicum of normalcy amid the outbreak, millions of Americans do not have reliable access to the web. Also many industries ranging from auto-manufacturing to hospitality cannot be conducted online. Because of this stark digital divide, many are at risk of educational lapses, profound social isolation or unemployment, advocates warn.