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Harvest Public Media reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues through a collaborative network of reporters and partner stations throughout the Midwest and Plains.

Many Internet Providers Pledge To Waive Late Fees, Not Shut Off Service During Coronavirus Pandemic

KOSU | By Amy Mayer,

Harvest Public Media

Published March 19, 2020 at 1:28 PM CDT

Demand for internet access has shifted from workplaces to residential ones during the coronavirus pandemic, as more adults are working from home and some students are expected to continue their classwork online.

The Federal Communications Commission created a Keep America Connected pledge, where internet service providers agree they will waive late fees and will not cancel residential or small business subscriptions due to unpaid bills. Also, they will open their wi-fi hotspots to anyone who needs to use them.

More than 200 companies large and small have taken the pledge, including some of the biggest regional and national providers such as AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Google Fiber, CenturyLink, Cox Communications, EarthLink and Shawnee Communications.

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Amy Mayer

Amy Mayer is a reporter based in Ames. She covers agriculture and is part of the Harvest Public Media collaboration. Amy worked as an independent producer for many years and also previously had stints as weekend news host and reporter at WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts and as a reporter and host/producer of a weekly call-in health show at KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Amy’s work has earned awards from SPJ, the Alaska Press Club and the Massachusetts/Rhode Island AP. Her stories have aired on NPR news programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition and on Only A Game, Marketplace and Living on Earth. She produced the 2011 documentary Peace Corps Voices, which aired in over 160 communities across the country and has written for The New York Times, Boston Globe, Real Simple and other print outlets. Amy served on the board of directors of the Association of Independents in Radio from 2008-2015.

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Harvest Public Media

Harvest Public Media reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues through a collaborative network of reporters and partner stations throughout the Midwest and Plains.

See stories by Harvest Public Media