Access Charlotte, a two-year program that launched in June dedicated to closing the digital divide, is a true community effort. @Spectrum, CharMeck 311, @cmlibrary, and @DigitalCharlotte all played a role in implementing this exciting and necessary initiative. Hear firsthand from committed stakeholders as they talk about the importance of this program.
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Lynn Dodson: Hello. I'm Lynn
Dodson. I'm with Spectrum, and I'm the Vice President of Sales
for the Community Solutions Team. We're excited as a company
to be participating in the Program. You know, we're a very
large company, but we have a Large local footprint. So we
have 100,000s, of local Employees here. And I think
we're all excited to be part of The program and to support the
program. Our broadband Infrastructure is already in all
the buildings. So we'll be able To move quickly, to access,
activate services for the Residents and start the digital
adoption. Public-private Partnership is a great way to
get the underserved community Access quickly. Our partnership
with Access Charlotte is just That. You know, we intend to
quickly roll out our program to All the underserved and be able
to access the services for the Residents. I think we all found
during the pandemic on how Important connectivity was. And
I think we saw a lot of folks Who were left behind during that
time. And I think this was a Great opportunity to get access
through Access Charlotte, and Spectrum for all those folks who
can really use the connectivity. Keshia Brinkley: Partner Liaison
Analyst at 311 is someone who we Talk with the back-end
departments. We're in constant Communication with the back-end
departments, about the new Policies, about the processes
that they have, making sure that We have the information updated
for our agents so that they can Provide seamless and excellent
customer service and so that They're also following the
things that the back-end Departments want done. We also
have partnered with several Outside organizations such as
the CDE, the Center for Digital Equity. So we actually take
calls for them. And we refer Them over to their digital
navigators program, which kind Of ties into Access Charlotte,
which is why we're so excited That they included 311. When
people call in they are in need Of something, whether it's I
need to know about financial Assistance, or I need to know
about tech help. So when they
Call in, and we're like, hey, we
have — did you know, we have This program here in Charlotte?
And we can bridge that divide Where there's people who don't
have internet access, who don't Have access to, to laptops and
things of that nature. And so by Us teaming up with Access
Charlotte as well as the CDE. It Allows us to make our community
stronger, which is part of our Part of the 311 mission, like we
want to strengthen the Community, make it a strong
community, one interaction at a Time. Emery Ortiz: I am Emery Ortiz, I
am the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library. Right now, we are focusing a lot
on digital equity work and just The various resources that we
can bring to the community in That way. Public libraries have
been at the forefront of digital Equity work for decades. And we
really appreciate the chance to Collaborate with organizations
like the Center for Digital Equity in providing our
communities with vital Resources. Access Charlotte is
something we're really excited To be a part of. This work is
you know, vast and none of us Have the capacity to do it on
our own. So again, going back to That collaboration, we want to
help be information centers for Access Charlotte, making sure
our citizens know how they can Get connected, where services
are available, and also be a Provider of resources in terms
of technology. Digital access is Such an essential component to
everyday life now that the Equity piece of that we do not
want to leave anyone behind, we Want everyone to have the same
opportunities as everyone else. And so digital equity is a key
component to that. With the Access that Access Charlotte
will provide, that internet Connectivity piece will be there
for so many of our citizens, Which is absolutely critical.
Where other organizations like The CDE and the public library
can fill in is with the Hardware, the technology with
the resources and with guided, You know, digital literacy and
information courses to really
Help, you know, someone get from
point A to point B in that Journey. This is really valuable
work and it's really rewarding To see the benefits that the
community receives from having Enhanced access, more device
connectivity, more resources Spread throughout the community.
Through our laptop Distributions, we've heard
stories of grandparents being Able to speak to their grandkids
that live far away now that they Have access to Facebook or to
Zoom. You know, we've heard from People who have new job
opportunities because they have Access to technology. So seeing
that direct positive impact that We're able to have is just the
most rewarding thing about my position. Natali Betancur: I'm Natali
Betancur. I'm the Deputy Director at the Center for
Digital Equity with Queens University of Charlotte. We
bring together the public Sector, the private sector,
nonprofit organizations, and Community members to co-create
solutions that ultimately help Our community members thrive in
today's modern culture. The Center for Digital Equity has a
critical role in the Access Charlotte program. And what
we're going to do is really Bring a holistic approach to
getting community members Connected. We're not only
looking at getting individuals And households connected to the
internet, but also do they need A device that they can utilize
that internet on? Digital equity Is no longer a luxury right?
Having access is not a luxury Having access in today's society
is as necessary as your Electricity and as your water.
Access itself is critical to Thrive in today's modern
society. As an immigrant myself, I think at firsthand I
experienced the immense amount Of barriers around not only
access navigating and language In all these different barriers.
It's on a personal level. I feel Very invested in this but it's
also as a team. Our mission is To make Mecklenburg County the
most digitally equitable Community in America.
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