Page 31 - SAMENA Trends - Gitex Special 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

AT&T and the United Way of Metro Dallas Help

Bridge Digital Divide

AT&T and the United Way of Metropolitan fortunately, those who lack access to the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas and re-
Dallas have long shared a common vision: internet are automatically excluded from calls applying for college using a borrowed
to connect those we serve to greater pos- many aspects of daily life – including ac- laptop and Wi-Fi from a nearby restaurant.
sibilities. We know when we help connect cess to job openings, online learning and “I don’t want another kid to have to sit on
people to technology, it can be a bridge to education resources, digital health care the curb of McDonald’s to access the in-
opportunity. That’s why we’re contributing and more. Across the nation, we are be- ternet,” Gonzalez says. “The Digital Bridg-
another $1 million over the next two years coming increasingly reliant on digital tech- es funding will give my organization the
to the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in nology. In fact, the National Skills Coalition opportunity to reimagine what the learning
support of the new Digital Bridges program reports that 92% of jobs in the U.S. require space at our center will look like. Equipping
focused on southern Dallas. This contribu- digital skills. The stakes have never been kids with technology to explore and grow
tion adds to the $1.2 million we previously higher. According to research: could provide endless opportunities.” All
made to support the distribution of 2,000 • 27% of adults with household incomes told, the new Digital Bridges collaboration
free laptops, digital literacy training and of $30,000 or less lack home broadband will touch more than 30,000 lives in the
technology help for residents served by the • One-third of Americans lack basic digi- Dallas community by:
nonprofit. This new contribution will help tal skills; Black and Hispanic workers are • Providing more than 4,200 computers to
the United Way add more community nav- overrepresented in this group. those in need.
igators in the southern Dallas community. Our goal is to change these numbers, but • Creating computer labs in communi-
Thousands of families will receive a laptop it takes collaboration to move the needle. ty-based organizations.
and assistance from a trained navigator Combining our digital divide efforts with • Offering digital literacy training to nearly
who can provide digital literacy training to the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and 3,000 individuals.
help with important tasks like enrolling in other contributors means greater impact. Helping more than 15,000 residents enroll
health care and the Affordable Connectiv- And working with credible nonprofit orga- in the Affordable Connectivity Program.
ity Program, which can cover the cost of nizations in the southern Dallas commu- We remain vigilant in tackling the digital
internet service for those eligible. We’re nity means effective reach. We’ll be work- divide in Dallas and nationwide through
joined in this effort by major contributions ing with community organizations, like the our AT&T Connected Learning® initiative,
from Texas Instruments Foundation, the Puede Network, Jubilee Park and Commu- which helps people get computers and
Richard and Mary Templeton Foundation nity Center, libraries, and dozens of others connectivity, gain skills to use the internet
and the Eugene McDermott Foundation. to connect more of the underserved. Adan effectively, and embrace the internet so
Together, we aim to deliver the benefits of Gonzalez, the founder of Puede Network, they can reap its vast benefits. This is how
connectivity in southern Dallas to those knows all too well what it’s like to live in the we build the bridge to possibilities. United
on the wrong side of the digital divide. Un- digital divide. He was raised in the South is how we will get there.

China Mobile Teams Up with Huawei to Deploy
the First FTTR-B Network on Mount Everest

Recently, China Mobile Communications China Mobile teams up with Huawei to deployed fundamentally changes network
Corporation Co., Ltd. (China Mobile) and deploy FTTR-B network conditions, allowing all staff in the tourist
Huawei have successfully deployed an At the management office of the tourist base camp and tourists in nearby rest
FTTR-B network for the tourist base camp camp 5,200 meters above sea level, staff areas to enjoy premium Wi-Fi services. In
and hotel on Mount Everest [Tibetan need to check environmental protection addition, the FTTR-B solution has been
name: Mount Qomolangma]. Based on devices, send back high-resolution photos deployed in a tourist hotel in a nearby town
Huawei FTTR-B (Fiber-to-the-Room and videos, and log to the Mount Everest 4,200 meters above sea level. In the past,
Business) solution, China Mobile provides Administration Bureau every day. Due to network problems such as frame freezing,
ultra-gigabit premium Wi-Fi services for poor network conditions, problems such no network connection, and slow response
staff and tourists at the top of the world, as frame freezing, slow video upload, of the check-in system would occur from
meeting their daily communication and and document sending failures used to time to time, affecting guests' check-in
business requirements. occur frequently. The high-speed FTTR-B experience. Since the FTTR-B solution
network that has been successfully is deployed, up to 300 hotel guests can

31 GITEX SPECIAL 2023