Many rural Lexington County children are unable to use remote learning during the covid-19 crisis,
Congressman Joe Wilson of Springdale and others in Washington are trying to gain federal funds to fix the problem of rural area internet access.
Lou Kennedy of Lexington, the CEO of Nephron Pharmaceuticals, SC Chamber if Commerce chair  and an active donor to Republicans, is using her clout to urge Wilson and others to tfight for this issue to Capitol Hill.
“I ask for your support for expanded rural broadband access as a part of any additional legislation Congress considers in response to the covid-19 pandemic,” she wrote lawmakers .
Stay-home orders have hampered thousands of students from doing schoolwork, prevented ill patients from telemedicine and stymied small business-owners from making online sales.
In South Carolina, nearly half a million residents have little to no broadband access, according to recent data from the Federal Communications Commission. 
Of these residents, 94% live in rural areas, and 160,655 of them are without internet entirely.
Only a fraction of SC school districts have been able to convert fully to online learning.
Gov. Henry McMaster proposed to the legislature a $574 million expansion of rural broadband.
Kennedy said House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is the SC elected official who brought the issue to her attention.
Clyburn told The State newspaper that broadband funding has to be a part of the next phase of corona virus relief.
Sen. Lindsey Graham who grew up in rural Central said broadband needs to be part of any future relief bills.
Sen. Tim Scott of North Charleston said the crisis shows how important it is for everyone from students to seniors to have access to reliable internet.
One source said Ckyburn could succeed In the Democrat-controlled House if rural internet access is negotiated in infrastructure investments.
The source said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has waffled on when Congress should consider big-ticket infrastructure and signaled broadband could be delayed till later.
 Republicans have accused Democrats of trying to use the pandemic for spending on things unrelated to the crisis.
Clyburn needs to decide how hard he can push Pelosi and other party leaders.