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Rural areas — including Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee counties — have been hit especially hard, with nearly 100% of customers losing power.
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Twenty internet providers, including national companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, have committed to the program.
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Florida lawmakers are continuing a years-long effort to improve internet access in rural areas. The issue again caught lawmakers attention last year when schools and businesses were shuttered, forcing people inside and online. The problem: many Floridians had no, or very little access to broadband services needed for them to go to school, apply for unemployment benefits or see their doctors through telehealth.