LAS VEGAS  – The initial wake of the pandemic magnified digital inequity on a global scale, but it was wireless connections more than fiber that offered a lifeline through the storm, according to the MWC Las Vegas panel "Wireless for Good."

Following the event’s keynote discussion focused on solving the challenges of the digital divide and broadband access, the panel offered a complementary perspective that while fiber may be the primary method in the eyes of operators, the wireless industry has a unique role to play in connecting underserved communities.

“What we found is that though we were in the same storm, we were not in the same boat. Many people who lacked access to broadband were deeply impacted,” American Tower SVP Colleen Richards Powell explained.

“I look at my home hometown where my 90-year-young mother lives, and there is no fiber, there is no real wired solution. When she wants to watch her services on Sunday morning, it's using one of our cell phones [or] one of our tablets,” added Robert Branson, President and CEO of Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council (MMTC).

Branson noted that there has never been so much funding in place to remedy the disparity, but it’s important that the money is put in the right places, and that the those building out infrastructure understand the perspective of people in “boats” of restricted access, resource, and awareness to connection options.

This community-centered mentality has been at the heart of Branson's work at MMTC – a non-profit advocating for equal access and representation in tech, media, and telecommunications – most recently epitomized by their Black Churches for Digital Equity initiative joining with faith and civil rights leaders to educate the community members on the available assistance programs.

When “people think about digital divide, particularly for a lot of communities of color, wireless has been essential and has played a critical role in sort of providing connectivity in that space,” CTIA Director and panel moderator Avonne Bell explained.

“It's really important not only who we hire in our internal practices to be a more equitable and inclusive and diverse driving industry, but also thinking about how our industry is deeply connected with issues that impact society overall,” Powell added.

Powell's comments echoed those by Phillip French, VP, Verizon, and Stephen Matherne, AVP, AT&T, during the keynote discussion about delivering internet access to rural parts of the U.S., using a variety of technologies, including 5G.

That panel discussed that while 48 million U.S. citizens are taking advantage of The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , which provides $65 billion to broadband deployment, and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a benefit program providing a discount of up to $30 per month for internet service per household and up to $75 for households on qualifying Tribal Lands, another 36.5 million eligible citizens are not.

Photo: Avonne Bell, Director, Connected Life, CTIA (L); Colleen Richards Powell, SVP, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, American Tower Corporation (Center); and Robert Branson, President and CEO, MMTC (R). Source: SDxCentral 

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