As millions of people around the world shift to working from home, the unprecedented transformation of our behavior has put a large strain on internet infrastructure which can lead to slow internet speeds.
Here are some ideas to help us address this challenge:
The following companies are offering free or low-cost internet service during the crisis:
- Comcast, Charter, Cox, Google Fiber, Spring, Verizon, and T-Mobile will not disconnect anyone for the next 60 days. They participated in the “Keep Americans Connected” Pledge.
- Comcast is offering an Internet Essentials package for free for 60 days during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Charter Communication announced it will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a subscription.
Those using Zoom web conferencing to connect with students, may find
that Zoom uses significant bandwidth, especially for video calls. To
address this concern:
- You and your students can connect to a Zoom meeting via telephone.
- You may choose to mute audio when not speaking and ask your students to do the same.
- You may choose to turn off your webcam unless necessary.
- Zoom has offered a set of instructions for those experiencing WIFI connection issues.
- Upload your Zoom recordings and other lectures to Kaltura or YouTube, rather than Box, for ease of streaming over slower connections.