Lariat.net Offers Free Broadband for Telehealth Providers, Coronavirus Cancels ACA Conference, Everyday Tech Benefits

Lariat.net, a wireless internet service provider in Laramie, Wyoming, announced that it will offer free internet service to telehealth providers helping those with the novel coronavirus.

Although no one has been confirmed as being infected in Wyoming so far, Lariat said it is preparing for a wide-spread infection.

“If we deliver tablet computers – which can be readily disinfected after each use – to patients who do not require hospitalization, we can protect health care providers from infection,” said Lariat founder Brett Glass.

Telemedicine providers can visit Lariat’s website for more information on how to participate in the free service.

Cable association ACA cancels conference next week as coronavirus worries grow

America’s Communications Association Connects, an industry association from smaller cable operators, postponed its scheduled the 27^th annual summit – which was to be held from March 17-19 in Washington– because of the coronavirus.

ACA had announced on March 3 that the conference would continue. But following through on the developments regarding COVID-19 over the last seven days, the event has been cancelled until further notice.

“As we gathered and evaluated more information from the CDC and other expert sources about the health effects of the coronavirus and the implications of its spread in the U.S. — including on travel and access to federal offices in Washington — we knew it was the right decision for our attendees to change course and postpone the Summit,” said CEO Matthew Polka.

Polka said ACA Connects will announce new dates for the Summit as soon as it is able.

Everyday tech benefits help promote the American Dream

In a blog post about Michael Strain’s book “The American Dream Is Not Dead,” Strain’s fellow American Enterprise Institute colleague Roslyn Layton argues the book makes a case for the  economic benefits of tech for the everyday American.

“The last 30 years of increasing real wages coincides with the takeoff of the internet and the digitization of the American economy,” writes Layton.

“When looking at the consistent rise in wages for ordinary workers, it is difficult to square the notion that America’s robust tech industry is hurting the economy, competition, and innovation,” argues Layton.

Layton sees a correlation between “high information-intensity industries” and economic growth, a trend that warrants “more digitization, not less.”