Building for Digital Equity Podcast

Mikhail Sundust is the Digital Connect Initiative (DCI) Executive Director for the Digital Connect Initiative at GRTI - Gila River Telecommunications Incorporated. GRTI has offered telecommunications and now high-quality Internet access to the reservation (and beyond with subsidiaries) for more than 30 years. We talk about lessons DCI has learned along its digital equity path, including making sure people have the basic digital skills needed to build more advanced skills and confidence. They developed a "bring your own device" program for learning and have crafted their programs to work well with elders. We also discuss how other Tribal telecom companies are starting to incorporate digital equity planning into their work.

As she'll note in the beginning of this interview with Sean Gonsalves, Gina Birch loves her job as Program Coordinator at the Ashbury Senior Computer Community Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She discusses the remarkable transition in Cleveland from a city lagging in digital equity metrics to one toward the top of its game.

Our interview with Margaret Kaufer, President of the New York-based STEM Alliance about their digital equity efforts. We talk about lessons they have learned in delivering low-cost Internet access to people in Yonkers and beyond. They gave a wireless CBRS network a long workout but recently retired it and embraced signing households up for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Stay tuned for our new show with interviews focused on digital equity!