One instruction remains consistent and clear during the coronavirus pandemic: Stay home. For many of us, that means taking our daily activities — work, school, medical care and connecting with loved ones — online. But not for everyone. The coming weeks will lay bare the already-cruel reality of the digital divide: tens of millions of Americans cannot access or cannot afford the home broadband connections they need to telework, access medical information and help young people learn when school is closed. When public health requires social distancing and even quarantine, closing the digital divide becomes central to our safety and economic security.

Eliminating the digital divide permanently is a long-term problem that requires sustained resources and commitment. But the federal government and the technology and communications sector should work together — right away — to take immediate, emergency actions to get high-quality broadband into homes in communities hit by the coronavirus. Here is what a connectivity stimulus should include:

The Federal Communications Commission must act. Every year, the commission spends about $8 billion to bring communications services to rural communities and low-income Americans. During this crisis, we should rapidly use these funds to increase the stock of lendable free hotspots available through schools and public libraries, expand the reach of telemedicine, and enhance Lifeline, the only federal program with the sole mission of bringing affordable communications to low-income Americans and a critical aspect of our social safety net in times of economic turmoil. This would not be the first time the F.C.C. has expanded Lifeline in a crisis; the George W. Bush-era F.C.C. strengthened its programming as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This would have the added benefit of injecting money into the economy as Congress considers other stimulus options.

We should also eliminate red tape and extend regulatory flexibility where doing so would allow broadband providers to quickly expand access. The commission could, for example, expedite decisions on waivers and experimental licenses that would let providers deploy unused and inefficiently used wireless spectrum or new technologies to increase their capacity and reach.

All broadband providers should join the effort to support Americans in need. We often think of the digital divide as a rural issue, but Census Bureau surveys show that three times as many households in urban areas remain unconnected as in rural areas. In urban areas, cost is often the problem. Based on Pew data and the American Community Survey, researcher John Horrigan estimates that more than 18 million households lack broadband because it’s too expensive. To meet the needs of low-income people, some broadband providers already offer a lost-cost tier. In times of emergency, no American should go without a connection because of cost.