QUESTION
What are the challenges in Internet adoption, and how is the Office of Technology And Innovation addressing them?
1:01:23
·
4 min
The Office of Technology And Innovation is addressing Internet adoption challenges beyond access, focusing on device availability and digital skills training.
- Language barriers are not seen as the primary challenge for Internet adoption; awareness and skepticism are bigger issues.
- Representatives speaking multiple languages are deployed, and materials are available in various languages to cater to diverse communities.
- The Office is working with the franchise administration and workforce development to introduce skills programs directly in public housing developments.
- A new focus is placed on providing devices and digital literacy training, emphasizing making resources and training easily accessible locally.
- This approach is led by Brett Seikoff, Director for Franchise Administration, marking a new direction for the Office of Technology And Innovation.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:01:23
But what are some of the I'm just thinking about, like, my developments, for example, voting can I think it's, like, 82% of residents speak?
1:01:31
Only Spanish.
1:01:32
Mhmm.
1:01:33
Right?
1:01:34
So are you are you hearing that in those developments?
1:01:36
It's like maybe there's maybe it is a language issue kind of how are you looking to be able to to combat that?
1:01:43
Is there any, you know, households that are like, we don't have devices?
1:01:46
Like, why would we need the Internet?
1:01:48
Kinda what happens with that information once they're once they've closed the door and they said, we don't want this.
1:01:54
Is there anything captured from that engagement that that you look at to be like, we really care about this household being connected.
1:02:01
These are some of the things that we can help with.
Matthew Fraser
1:02:02
Alright.
1:02:03
So I I like to to say it's it's a good conversation to have.
1:02:07
I feel like we're a victim of our success.
1:02:10
20% left, we're gonna get in many cases, we have representatives that are on the ground that speak multiple languages.
1:02:18
So when we have Charter Communications come out or Altice, They come out with support that that supports more than just one language.
1:02:26
In addition to that, the millers, the fires that we have also come in multiple languages as well.
1:02:31
We don't I can't speak definitively about it, but I can't tell you that I've heard or I've seen that language as the barrier For adoption, I think it's more about awareness and skepticism.
Alex Stein
1:02:45
Yeah.
1:02:45
Because Just curious what it is.
1:02:46
I'm not
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:02:46
I don't know that it's just language, but what are
Matthew Fraser
1:02:49
We've I believe it's awareness.
1:02:50
Some people may not may not be aware that it's available.
1:02:54
But in addition to that, I think of that percentage, there's a large portion of people that may be skeptical.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:02:59
Mhmm.
Matthew Fraser
1:02:59
Like, the thing that there's a that there's some catch that comes along with the pro.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:03:02
Yeah.
1:03:03
If you could I mean, I don't know if this is, like, if this is done through, like, surveys, but, obviously, one of the the big pushes here is digital literacy.
1:03:11
And so I'm curious if in those engagements, either would sakeholders or charter or no t's.
1:03:16
If they're be if they're able to capture instances where people are just like, we don't we wouldn't know how to, like, this is real.
1:03:23
Like, we don't we don't know.
1:03:24
We don't have a device, or I'm this I'm this, you know, age, and I don't want a device.
1:03:29
I think it's gonna help us advocate for those programs at those at the centers.
1:03:35
It's just really important.
1:03:37
So I don't know what extent you can help with that, but I think that would be really meaningful to have any and all of that data where it's, like, we think there's an issue of just, like, training and knowing how do you licensed product and how we can help.
1:03:48
Yeah.
1:03:48
I don't support that.
Matthew Fraser
1:03:49
I think you you you're spot on.
1:03:51
Right?
1:03:52
The challenge if you look at the digital divide or digital equity, it's more than just access.
1:03:58
And if you look at it, this is a little proper a biblical proper maybe you give a person to fish.
1:04:03
Delete for a day.
1:04:04
You teach them how to fish.
1:04:05
Delete for a lifetime.
1:04:06
Giving somebody one time access to broadband walking into a center and using a computer.
1:04:11
That's a one something.
1:04:12
But then giving them access in their home, giving them a device where they can use it.
1:04:17
Mhmm.
1:04:18
And then giving them the skills so that they know how use the device to get the things that they needed, to get upskill, to get employment, to do school work.
1:04:26
I think, like, that's that's the space that we need to get to.
1:04:29
So I'm happy to say that across the public housing space, we've solved the access challenge.
1:04:35
Access is now a thing that we can put on the back on the back seat.
1:04:39
Now we can look at how we can get more devices in hands and also bring some of those skills programs together.
1:04:45
So the folks in our franchise administration.
1:04:47
I'm working very closely with the the folks in workforce development to see how we can get some of those skills programs native in the developments themselves.
1:04:58
So instead of having to travel somewhere, bring the program to you so that you don't have to leave to get it, And then by doing that, you may have more people that will partake because it's local.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:07
And who and I'm sorry.
1:05:08
Who is doing this work?
1:05:09
You said partners or who is
Matthew Fraser
1:05:11
So This work is being led by Brett Seikoff, and my team he's my director for franchise administration.
1:05:16
And Brett Brett's a very good he's a very good person.
1:05:20
Also, a child
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:21
Hanging out back there.
Matthew Fraser
1:05:22
He's taking out back there, but he's also and this is this is where
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:25
Is there is it safe to say there's a component of, like, like, literacy and training that you are all taking on now?
Matthew Fraser
1:05:32
A 100%.
1:05:33
Okay.
1:05:33
A 100%.
1:05:34
Yes.
1:05:34
Yeah.
1:05:34
There there is This is new.
1:05:37
So I I it it's a new approach because if you
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:41
Pacific to OTI.
1:05:42
I know that because in the past, there's agents that you've said that there's agents that do this stuff.
1:05:46
Yeah.
Matthew Fraser
1:05:46
It's it's new for OTI to embark into this territory.
1:05:50
Mhmm.
1:05:50
But if you want something that you've never had, you have to do things that you've never done, and that's That's that's what we're doing.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:05:56
Got it.