BIG TECH Groundwork was laid long before Google, Facebook or Zoom. In "Imagine the pandemic without Big Tech" (Opinion Exchange, March 10), Noah Smith must be using his "computer glasses" to look at the technology that has come to the forefront during the pandemic. He focuses on a few things that have been around for a little while as the saviors of this latest crisis. But, he doesn't see, or mention, what has really allowed technology to mitigate the effects of the necessary lockdowns. There have been computerized work-from-home initiatives going back over 30 years. Sun Microsystems had an "app" to create a custom pizza and order it in the previous millennium. The critical component that regulated the speed of the creation and adoption of this application of technology is the availability and speed of the data services connecting people to people, people to business and business to business. The increase in bandwidth available at a reasonable cost is the enabler. Unfortunately, even 25 years after the big telecom and cable companies received hundreds of millions in tax breaks in exchange for promised rollout of "high speed" connections, many locales and people still do not have reliable connections with enough bandwidth to participate in this new economy. From commission reports to conferences to Connect Minnesota, the issue has been highlighted and discussed. It is time to get past discussion and for the Legislature to remove restrictions on local communities who want to provide high-speed data services to their constituents. Cities shouldn't have to fight in court to provide important resources to their citizens. And, it is time for the large telecom and cable providers who have effectively been operating as monopolies in most areas to work with those communities to provide the services needed at a cost people can afford. We need the high-tech grandchild of Reddy Kilowatt to become the spokesperson for this effort. But, most of all, we need to quit talking and start doing.