Researchers estimate as many as 17 million school-age children couldn’t afford or access a device or home internet connection during the pandemic. The problem most severely affected Southern and more rural states, and disproportionately minority and lower-income students. Washington first responded in March of 2020 by sending states and schools tens of billions of dollars they could use to purchase needed technology... Some families didn’t want to share their personal information with cable carriers, ran into language barriers, or feared they’d be on the hook for hidden costs or commitments. Carriers sometimes improperly delayed access for families who had past-due balances on their bills. Many families didn’t get connected because of housing instability. Others struggled with the limited capacity of a single cable connection. These factors, and an array of related concerns, meant many students simply did not log on.