I often am faced with the question of “ What is it you do again?” It’s a loaded question with about 8,000 different answers on any given day. Sure I work in public policy, sure I track legislative issues, sure I work on construction issues, sure I work on cell tower investments , sure I build relationships, sure I meet with customers, sure I find new customers, sure enhance experiences.. the list goes on and on and on…. However, if I had to sum it up with one simple sentence, it would be this , “ I am here to solve problems.”
Yesterday, I got the opportunity to solve a problem that 150 different families face in Lubbock every day. They lack the tools to connect to the Internet. They lack the digital key to unlock their future in the growing digital economy , digital social space,
E-healthcare and more.
So working with the Lubbock Area United Way , YWCA of Lubbock and Human-I-T we were able start solving that problem. AT&T, with the help from Krista Guzman , was able to give 150 Lubbock families a device, and access to digital literacy training that will unlock those doors and give them access to a new world at their finger tips.
However, they are not alone in this digital connectivity gap. Today, twenty- three percent of Texans are unable to attend online classes, see a healthcare provider from their living room, fill out a job application online, start a business or access online marketplaces from their kitchen table. On a national scale, more than one-third (35%) of U.S households lack connection to the internet.
Closing that gap takes participation from all sectors, the private sector through investment and philanthropy, the non profit sector by identifying needs and communities who need that support and lastly the public sector to create an ecosphere that fosters and promotes collaboration between those two to solve this massive challenge.
I want to thank the Texas Legislature, particularly Chairman Dustin Burrows , Carl Tepper & Senator Charles Perry for leading the effort to bring the resources and advocacy for the State of Texas to begin to talk this issue on a state wide scale, but particularly for their advocacy in making sure those in the Lubbock remain a clear focus and in the forefront as we develop solutions to unlock the doors to that digital world, that technology innovation, and keep the Texas Miracle alive.
#ConnectionChangesEverything #DigitalDivide #Broadband #DigitalOpportunity #Txlege
Thank you so much for celebrating Illinois Connectivity Day with us! You help us make an impact in Illinois so that together we can #bridgethedigitaldivide.