Is congregational prayer via the Internet valid, and if not, is it better than praying alone individually?

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it." And he also said: "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a good deed, and a good deed is multiplied tenfold. I do not say that Alif, Laam, Meem is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, who said it is a sound and good hadith].

So, there is no harm in teaching the Qur'an for a fee, and that fee is lawful earnings, Allah willing. However, the intention should be to teach the Book of Allah, and the fee should be seen as assistance to help you continue teaching. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The most deserving of what you take a wage for is the Book of Allah." [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

This means that one can be paid for teaching the Qur'an. This ruling applies to teaching the Qur'an, whether it is for children or adults, men or women.

And Allah knows best.