<div dir="ltr">Related to this: <br><br>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">High-Speed Internet Boom Hits Low-Tech Snag: a Labor Shortage</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">Record demand for fiber-optic cables means drillers, linemen and splicers pull in soaring pay at projects nationwide</p>
<p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/telecom/high-speed-internet-boom-hits-low-tech-snag-a-labor-shortage-9c92b514">https://www.wsj.com/business/telecom/high-speed-internet-boom-hits-low-tech-snag-a-labor-shortage-9c92b514</a></p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">In a movie I just saw on the plane yesterday ("Rebuilding" - highly recommended), a couple of old rural folks had to sit outside a closed library to use the WiFi from there, using the tablet computer of a child to file government forms, with the help of another man to fill out the form. </p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br>It is not just a failure of connectivity, but also e-government overall. </p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">Charles</p><p class="gmail-p1" style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br></p></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Feb 4, 2026 at 12:35 PM Praveen Misra via Chapter-delegates <<a href="mailto:chapter-delegates@elists.isoc.org">chapter-delegates@elists.isoc.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>Ah! I am both surprised and amused. However, I suppose those having smart phones have access to the Internet and can avail digital services (Provided the portals are WCAG compliant). Still its a shocking state for US which by and large is considered to be the leaders in Internet infrastructure.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for pointing to the link. The report is very valuable.</div><div><br></div><div>very best</div><div><br></div><div>Dr. Praveen Misra</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 10:09 PM Glenn McKnight via Chapter-delegates <<a href="mailto:chapter-delegates@elists.isoc.org" target="_blank">chapter-delegates@elists.isoc.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>Hi All </div><div>Interesting article on Connectivity and Lack of Computer access in the US</div><div><a href="https://digitunity.org/32-9-million-people-cant-access-critical-us-government-services-due-to-lack-of-a-computer/" target="_blank">https://digitunity.org/32-9-million-people-cant-access-critical-us-government-services-due-to-lack-of-a-computer/</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Glenn McKnight, MA </div><div>Virtual School of Internet Governance </div>Chief Information Officer<div><a href="http://www.virtualsig.org" target="_blank">www.virtualsig.org</a> </div><div><b>YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATION </b></div><div><b>Mobile 437-237-4655</b></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div>
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