It's Time To Connect the Rest of America
High-speed broadband is a vital part of our 21st-century infrastructure, but more than 19 million rural Americans don’t have adequate access—and as many as 162.8 million Americans don’t access the internet at broadband speeds. You can help close the digital divide and connect more Americans to educational, employment, and business opportunities to keep our economy growing.
Executive Briefings
Voices for Innovation’s Executive Briefings provide weekly updates on technology policy and news, including highlights from Capitol Hill, breaking tech news, clips of relevant articles from traditional and new media, and a roundup of thought leader quotes and tweets.
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VFI Leader Spotlight: Talking Tech and Paying It Forward with Jason Bergeron
Earlier this year, Voices for Innovation welcomed aboard Jason Bergeron as one of our new Advisory Task Force leaders. While Jason is new to VFI leadership, he is an experienced advocate who ...
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With a pandemic & social injustice running rampant we've been determined to make a difference. With support from MSFT, @vfiorg & @SageSE_ITAD we will facilitate a Tech Drive to benefit under-served communities whose students have been affected by COVID-19 https://avept.it/2OZVoKi
@meetdux has been a long-time advocate for @vfiorg. Learn about diversity and inclusion, community engagement and how to get involved in Microsoft initiatives. #MSInspire session is starting now: https://avept.it/2WUr2gL
Don't forget to register for this afternoon's #MSInspire roundtable with us and IAMCP leaders. We'll be highlighting #MSPartner's advocacy examples and how they're leaning into @Microsoft initiatives to promote D&I in their communities. Register now: https://myinspire.microsoft.com/sessions/6e71a831-0071-49ad-b22d-fb9eddd85e4d?fbclid=IwAR0uL9wsUCT9IFXAOvx8IphfB0sqUrbGlmr94e3TAEuQEliXofBgeGMtp8Q
#MSInspire is here and we'll be hosting our own session tomorrow. Register now for our round-table with @meetdux, @CyberEddieBader, and @frankv104 on D&I community engagement and advocacy. https://myinspire.microsoft.com/sessions/6e71a831-0071-49ad-b22d-fb9eddd85e4d
Watch this important interview by @jchatterleyCNN — @Microsoft CEO @satyanadella calls broadband access “a fundamental right” & @LandOLakesInc CEO @BethFordLOL says “vibrancy of our rural communities...is critical” https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2020/07/15/microsoft-land-o-lakes-rural-broadband-access.cnnbusiness
Last month we tuned in for a discussion from @connectamnow on the impact of the #digitaldivide and the critical access needed in education, healthcare, and rural communities. Learn more: https://www.agrinews-pubs.com/2020/06/23/bridging-the-digital-divide-farmers-students-rural-small-businesses-need-broadband/abxoz7m/
Today, we're announcing an initiative to reskill 25 million people with the digital skills needed to succeed in the new economy. More in my blog post: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/06/30/microsoft-launches-initiative-to-help-25-million-people-worldwide-acquire-the-digital-skills-needed-in-a-covid-19-economy/ #DigitalSkills
Join other organizations like @AvePoint, @blackbaud, @pax8, and @velosio in donating devices to get laptops into the hands of kids for distance learning. Learn more here: https://www.voicesforinnovation.org/help-kids-learn-safely-donate-laptops/?emci=3597c044-17b7-ea11-9b05-00155d039e74&emdi=97747db4-bdb7-ea11-9b05-00155d039e74&ceid=5903280
I recently teamed up with @TheRevAl, @vanitaguptaCR, @MarcMorial & @MauritaColey to present solutions to address internet inequality in communities of color. As @RepJohnLewis said, “Access to the internet…is the civil rights issue of the 21st century.”
https://www.essence.com/news/broadband-access-is-a-civil-right-we-cant-afford-to-lose-but-many-cant-afford-to-have/
Now that #SCOTUS has ruled on #DACA, what happens next? Our plea is for a national discussion that involves more light and less heat. More in my blog post: https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/06/18/scotus-upholds-daca-dreamers/
VFI leader and @avepoint CMO, @meetdux, offers some great ideas for moving your diversity and inclusion program forward. Learn more about how AvePoint implemented these 5 steps: https://www.avepoint.com/blog/office-365/diversity-unity-workplace/
Read what CAN, @actonline, @DynamicSpectrum, @Microsoft & @vfiorg are saying about the urgency for the @FCC to adopt updated rules to clear regulatory barriers to #TVWS technology to increase the pace, scale & cost-effectiveness of broadband deployments ➡️
https://connectamericansnow.com/what-they-are-saying-support-continues-to-roll-in-for-fcc-tv-white-space-rulemaking/
Today’s #SCOTUS decision is a victory for the country. Nearly 700,000 law-abiding DACA registrants are helping restart the economy & fight COVID-19 – including 30,000+ in healthcare. This decision creates an opportunity for the WH & Congress to find a lasting bipartisan approach.
#Pride is an important celebration at Microsoft, and an opportunity to learn from our LGBTQI+ colleagues. While we can't celebrate in person, this work to build a stronger, more equitable community is more important than ever. https://twitter.com/chriscapossela/status/1272943091515715590
Voices for Innovation on Capitol Hill
Voices for Innovation members came to Washington, DC to meet with their members of Congress and the House Small Business Committee and advocate for 21st century technology policies.
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“It's critical for business leaders to understand the policy environment, especially technology leaders, because the policy is so far behind the innovation.” - VFI member Marc Hoppers
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Technology Brings Internet to Underserved Communities Though the United States is a global technology leader, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2019 broadband report indicates that more than 21 million Americans lack access to high-speed internet, including nearly 17 million people in rural communities. (...)
The United States leads the world in technology innovation, but this leadership is jeopardized by insufficient support for computer science education in our nation’s K-12 schools. We cannot maintain an innovation-driven economy and prepare students for future success in the digital economy if (...)
About
Voices for Innovation (VFI) is a Microsoft-supported community of technology professionals and everyday Americans committed to advancing discussions about the most important technology policies. As citizen advocates, we champion public policies that foster innovation, support business growth, and enable technology to address societal challenges.