Having a fast internet connection at home has become a near-requirement for many Americans, especially with the rise of remote education and working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As telecom companies rev up the newest generation of mobile service, called 5G, they’re shutting down old networks — a costly, years-in-the-works process that’s now prompting calls for a delay because a lot of products out there still rely on the old standard, 3G.

The Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville led to communications outages over hundreds of miles in the southern U.S., raising concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. networks. The blast seriously damaged a key AT&T network facility, an important hub that provides local wireless, internet and video service and connects to regional networks. AT&T customers lost service — phones, internet or video — across large parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. At some hospitals, electronic medical records, internet service or phones stopped working. It's not as if the physical vulnerability of communications networks comes as a surprise.