our correspondent dina demetrius visited phillips county, one of the poorest counties in arkansas, where neighbors are working to join the digital age in the heart of the mississippi delta. the small agriculture town of elaine, arkansas, is a picture of historic divides racial, economic and now digital. this is the north side of town where it's predominantly black, and this the south side that's predominantly white. lisa hicks gilbert is trying to bridge those divides with fiber optics. nothing works without the internet. and definitely nothing works without internet. yet that's reliable. last year, gilbert returned to her hometown from little rock and is now program manager of a local nonprofit addressing rural disparities. she says when the pandemic hit, the slow service from the town's only provider practically brought it to a standstill. you had some people who had lost their jobs. they're trying to maybe sell jewelry, you know, get an online business. the children are trying to do homework. you realize how how inadequate the service is laying fiber lines in rural areas is costly. th