The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the internet needs of rural Washington in particular.
In Washington, nearly one in 10 rural residents lack access to high-speed broadband, according to Washington State University Extension. Nationally, about 15 percent of rural Americans are offline.”
WSU is taking part in the Drive-In WiFi Hotspots project partnered with multiple agencies including public utility districts, Washington State Library, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and more.
“Microsoft and the Avista Foundation are providing funding, and a national nonprofit contributed equipment and installation,” a description of the project on the Washington State Department of Commerce website says. The site includes a map of WiFi hotspots.
As a land-grant college, the mission of WSU Extensions is to make education, particularly about agriculture, more accessible “so that members of the working classes could obtain a liberal, practical education,” a WSU description reads, and the Drive-In WiFi Hotspots project fits into that mission.