Tucked inside the $900 billion Covid-19 stimulus bill are some pretty big broadband provisions aimed at getting more Americans the internet, at a time when connection is so pivotal in so many parts of everyday life.

The pandemic relief bill, passed by both houses of Congress at the start of the week, sets aside $7 billion in funding for broadband connectivity and infrastructure. That amount includes $3.2 billion for a $50-a-month emergency broadband benefit for low-income households and those that have suffered a significant loss of income in 2020, and a $75-a-month rebate for those living on tribal lands. It also includes $1 billion in grants for tribal broadband programs, $300 million for rural broadband grants, and funds toward telehealth, broadband mapping, and broadband in communities surrounding historically Black colleges and universities.

Broadband connectivity — or, rather, the lack thereof — has long been a problem in the United States. The pandemic has demonstrated how essential a lifeline the internet is, and how costly it can be for those who don’t have it. Work, education, social services, and myriad other activities are increasingly taking place online.

While the Covid-19 outbreak has highlighted the cost of not having access to decent internet in the US, it’s not like this is a new problem, nor will it go away once the pandemic ends.

In an email to Vox, Gigi Sohn, a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Technology and Law Policy, said that the emergency broadband benefit is “historic” and represents a “bipartisan recognition that broadband is essential to full participation in society.” She also called the $1 billion for tribal deployment a “great step in the right direction.”

More at Vox.