Does providing free internet access to low‐income households affect COVID‐19 spread?
研究多伦多一项试点项目，发现为低收入社区的大型公寓楼提供免费公共WiFi可使该社区每周新冠病例减少14.4%，原因可能是居民减少了去娱乐场所的活动。
This paper evaluates whether a policy of providing free, in-home Internet for lower-income households can reduce COVID-19 case rates among those households. Using data from a pilot program in Toronto, we find that deploying free public WiFi in large apartment blocks within a low-income neighborhood leads to a 14.4% reduction in weekly cases in that neighborhood. Having in-home WiFi reduces the propensity of residents to visit businesses in the arts, entertainment, and recreation category, suggesting that WiFi benefits residents by providing in-home substitutes for leisure activities.