Where Did We Leave the Chairs?

By Josh Seidemann, VP of Policy, NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association

Interior designer Barclay Butera reportedly said that if you want to know the best way to arrange your furniture, just take a look at how people rearranged your furniture after your last party. That will tell you what works best. I think the same can be said about, “Life After COVID-19.” It seems we all rearranged our furniture — how we work, go to school, and visit with our doctor. My guess is that we won’t be putting our chairs back where they were before last March. We’ve simply experienced too much to go back to where we started.

We’ve thrown a lot of numbers around these columns the past few months: how many K-12 students were affected by COVID-19 related closures (55 million); how many people teleworked (about 63 million); how many doctor visits transitioned to telemedicine (more than 50% in April 2020, up from 18% just two years ago). But beyond the quantitative numbers are the qualitative assumptions that seem to be changing.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently amended the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is undertaken jointly by BLS and the Census Bureau, to address the impact of COVID-19 and telework on the labor market. The questions cover a range of issues, including how businesses fared and the extent to which workers engaged remote work, as well as whether workers lost wages or opportunities. The survey also includes a question from the National Center for Health Statistics about whether people deferred, declined, or were otherwise denied medical care in the face of coronavirus.

Informal conversations with NTCA members reveal a broad experience of where customers have rearranged their furniture, so to speak. One member reported that more than half of its locations that were upgraded at no charge to meet end-of-the-school-year needs have retained (and are subscribing to) the upgraded service. Others reported that increased demand “shot our forecast totally out of the water,” and that homes that had been passed with fiber for a half-decade with no subscriptions are now signed up. Some companies reported needs for additional staff and fleet vehicles to meet increased demand.

At the same time, there are challenges. Supply chains are strained and many companies are reporting a six-month delay in obtaining fiber and electronics. Too many customer accounts are being categorized as uncollectible as adverse job market impacts trickle outward to vendors of necessary services.

In all of this, however, a vision of the future is emerging. One executive said, “We are never going back to the same campus.” Others agreed, citing a workplace future that will include greater telework opportunities and a more dispersed work environment. These companies also recognize that their business customers are thinking about similar changes and focusing not only on connecting employees but also managed IT services and technical solutions.

And as we change, other industries evolve. Many schools are now committed to leveraging technology and BYOD (bring your own device) to strengthen educational opportunities. Businesses are finding new online avenues. Health care providers are encouraging patients to engage telehealth more broadly.

I took my first voluntary rotation back at the office this past week. I was surprised momentarily when I took my first call and the receiver of my hardwired desk phone yanked me back to my desk. You see, I’ve become accustomed over the past six months to using a mobile phone with a Bluetooth headset — and walking around while I take calls.

We’ll turn a corner soon. But when we do, we won’t be going back.