Today we will get a better understanding of how 5G can help the average citizen. Equal education opportunity is a milestone of American values. COVID forced students to learn remotely through high-speed connections. Well, what about families who could not afford high-speed access?
Some have labeled this as the “digital divide” and have come up with ways to remediate the problem through applied technology. During this interview, experts from the National Association of Counties and two commercial partners show how to level the playing field when education is mandated to be remote.
Rob Silverberg, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, State, and Local Government, Dell Technologies provides a case study in Tucson, Arizona. In the early days of COVID, public school students were expected to learn online. One concern was a 20 square block of low-income people who did not have the resources to get high-speed broadband connections.
Local leaders looked at applying CARE funds to the infrastructure problem. Rob states that the idea is to leverage the services that are available to improve the quality of signal for the specific community.
High-speed access is not simply a binary problem, explains Arthur Scott, Legislative Director, National Association of Counties. Some areas may not have physical access to the faster technology; there could also be a situation where the faster network could be cost prohibitive for low-income citizens.
The black/white distinction also applies to the technology itself. Todd Landry from JMA gives a good explanation of combining 4G and 5G to optimize the signal strength to a given area.
Understanding where broadband signals are weak is a key first step in helping to understand the digital deserts for access to high-speed broadband. The FCC has information for municipalities called the Broadband Data Act to improve services to citizens, including fixing broadband maps.
The Tucson case study is a great example of the ingenuity of public/private partnerships to use technology to improve the citizen experience.
To view this webinar: Leveraging 5G to Serve the Citizen.
Featured Speakers:
Arthur Scott
Legislative Director,
Agriculture & Rural Affairs; Telecommunications & Technology, National Association of Counties
Todd Landry
Corporate Vice President,
Product & Market Strategy,
JMA Wireless
Rob Silverberg
Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, State & Local Government, Dell Technologies
John Breeden (moderator)
Contributing Editor,
FedInsider
