Adversity has a way of bringing out the best in people. What’s surprising is that it even inspires competitive organizations and profit-craving businesses to rise up to the occasion and do humanity an unconditionally good turn. When everyone supports each other with the basic aim of keeping the human spirit lit, the chances of survival become infinitely more.

The world is in a state of crisis right now.

Besides climate change and economic instability, an epidemic is wrecking societies left and right. All or most of the routine activities have come to a halt, and people find themselves confined to their homes. Streets that were once abuzz with thrill lay empty. Movie theatres that displayed the best cinematic wonders stand vacant in the wind. Schools that were the centers of learning and skill-shaping are facing closures. Only the hospitals and graveyards are overrun with corpses of the deceased and those unfortunate enough to contract the disease. It is like a chapter out of a dystopian sci-fi book.

The name of this epidemic is the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, and it has spun the finest American institutions out of control.

In this atmosphere of fear and isolation, a streak of light breaks through the dark clouds. It is internet technology, which enables people to keep in touch with each other, despite everything. If you take a look around the web right now, you will see influencers spreading the message of hope, families, and friends stuck at different places video calling each other, employees working from home and experts spreading knowledge about the disease on the first chance.

It is due to the internet that the world stays connected, informed and entertained. The internet brings comfort to downcast consumers, and what brings the World Wide Web to people’s doorsteps are the telecom companies.

Some internet companies have even extended their services and bounties in these trying Corona times. One of these is Charter Spectrum™, which is worth mentioning here. This leading internet provider announced on March 16, 2020, that it would offer Spectrum free internet for students and expand its Wi-Fi hotspot network to increase broadband availability and accessibility throughout the disease-stricken US.

This is precisely the kind of empathy, consideration, and support that people need from enterprises at the moment. If you would like to read more about this amazing initiative, then stay tuned.

What Do You Need To Know About Charter Communications®?

It started out small as a telecommunications company, headquartered in Stamford, CT. However, in 2016, after merging with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, Charter really gained an impetus and rebranded itself as ‘Spectrum’.

Charter Spectrum™ grew with the passage of time and expanded its coverage across 41 states to become the second-largest cable provider in the U.S. At present, you can find its greatest hold in Alabama, Maine, California, Michigan, Florida, Minnesota, Georgia, Missouri, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Wisconsin, and New York.

This provider uses a network of advanced HFC (Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial) cables to deliver wired broadband to people’s homes. Spectrum internet speeds start from 100 Mbps and go up to 940 Mbps on the dot. There are no data caps and no contract restrictions.

Besides the internet, Spectrum also provides cable TV, phone and wireless mobile services. On the ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) scoreboard, this provider has managed to accrue a 59 out of 100 rating, which is higher than the average.

What is the Current Coronavirus Situation in the U.S.?

Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that is highly contagious (spreads easily from person to person via cough droplets or other means of contact) and is caused by a virus that came from an animal source.

The first outbreak took place in Wuhan, China, but in a surprisingly short time, COVID-19 has spread to international locations, including the United States. What’s worse is that there is no specific treatment and no identifiable vaccine to protect against the virus at the moment, so it is really up to the people to save themselves from it via self-isolation and consistent hand-washing.

The severe stages of the virus can lead to pneumonia, organ failure and eventually, death and all in a matter of weeks. According to CDC, there are 140,904 total cases of COVID-19 in 50 states of the US, plus the jurisdictions of Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Marianas, District of Columbia and US Virgin Islands.

The total number of deaths from COVID-19 is 2,405. Just recently, The Washington Post reported an alarming increase in the death toll, going up by 500 for the first time and half of those happening in New York alone!

How is the COVID-19 Pandemic Affecting Education?

As the novel coronavirus spreads throughout the US, rendering human contact impossible, classrooms have started to look like real-life ghost towns with stranded chairs and dust-laden boards.

To fight the spread of COVID-19, school officials have turned students away and enforced short-term closures. With such a measure in place, it has become more challenging for educators to promote an equal learning opportunity among the students, and to make sure that their school nutrition and housing does not fall into jeopardy.

To top it all off, CDC has claimed that short-term closures will not create a huge difference, and for serious outbreak prevention, longer closures will need to be set in place. Given these predictions and the growing death rate, the future of education and schooling does not look bright. Not to mention the following issues that could happen in the long-term:

  • End of the basic provision of meals to students
  • Over-reliance on online learning and disregard for students who don’t even own a computer
  • Fall of standardized testing, academic measurement, and college admissions

So on and so forth. This is only a glimpse of the extent to which coronavirus has disrupted the daily life of Americans and deprived them of the necessities.

How does Spectrum Plan to Contribute to Remote Learning?

We have just seen how the American schooling system and education have been affected by COVID-19. It is time to shift our focus to the state of classroom learning itself, which has become ‘virtual’ in nature for a majority of the students.

Throughout the States, professors, teachers, and educators are conveying lectures and ensuring attendance through online video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, from the safety of their homes. Students are handing in term papers and assignments on official school portals, and receiving feedback from their peers online. There are group chats and web-based collective projects, etc.

These learning alternatives cannot be possible without a high-speed internet connection, the demand for which is currently rising through the roof. In these extreme circumstances, Spectrum has stepped up with a Community Assistance program and Remote Education Credit. Effective March 16, 2020, this provider will:

  • Offer free Spectrum internet (coronavirus edition), free Wi-Fi and free installation for 60 days to homes with Pre-K to 12 students, college-goers and teachers, who don’t have a Spectrum subscription or access to basic broadband.
  • Expand Spectrum Wi-Fi hotspots beyond the footprint and open it for public usage.
  • Continue to serve low-income households with the high-speed Spectrum Internet Assist program, and especially those that have school-aged children.
  • Collaborate with school districts across the US to spread awareness about these remote learning opportunities among the local communities.
  • Exempt overage fees from the bill of those customers who are economic difficulties caused by the pandemic.
  • Not terminate the service of those residential and business users who are caught in the grip of COVID-19 for a period of 60 days.
  • Monitor the dynamic situation, follow the updates closely and work towards delivering 100% connectivity.

What does this show you? That Spectrum has your back through and through.

How Can You Get in Touch with Spectrum?

There are multiple ways you reach out to Spectrum customer service and get your hands on the free broadband that the provider is offering to ensure constant connectivity in these tense times. You can try:

  • Phone Line – Just pick up your phone, dial 1-844-763-0450 and start talking to Spectrum’s super-efficient support agent right away.
  • Live Chat – Head to the Support page, click on the “Ask Spectrum” tab on the lower right of your screen, type your query and get an instant response. You can open only one chat window at a time.
  • Social Media – Lookup Spectrum’s social media profiles (https://twitter.com/ask_spectrum or https://www.facebook.com/spectrum), post your query on the public platform or drop a private message to the company’s respondents.
  • Store Visit – If you are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and your issue requires in-person assistance, then feel free to go to your nearest Spectrum store and meet the expert. Spectrum assured you that all stores are professionally cleaned and thoroughly disinfected on a regular basis.

Wrapping Up

Coronavirus will not extinguish our spark, as long as we practice social distancing and continue remote learning with the help of considerate internet service providers like Spectrum.