It's Time To Connect the Rest of America
High-speed broadband is a vital part of our nation’s infrastructure, but more than 17 million rural Americans don’t have access, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Microsoft’s own data shows that about 157.3 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.
Read the LatestLatest News
VFI Leader Spotlight: RJ Naugle Helps Connect Veterans with Microsoft and Tech
Earlier this year, Voices for Innovation welcomed aboard RJ Naugle as one of our new Advisory Task Force leaders. While RJ is new to VFI leadership, he is an experienced advocate who ...
Read More
Weekend read: The Education Open Data Challenge opens December 10. How will you help close the digital divide in K-12 education?
Cyberattacks on healthcare institutions responding to the COVID-19 pandemic are unconscionable. We need world leaders to come together & condemn this behavior by affirming and enforcing international laws to protect frontline workers & critical research.
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/11/13/health-care-cyberattacks-covid-19-paris-peace-forum/
Here is a message from @BradSmi and @microsoft about #2020Election
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/11/07/us-election-biden-trump-technology-covid-19/
One week from today - are you registered?
VFI will continue to advocate for broadband access, data privacy, and other #technology issues into the next decade
More than 12M Americans are unemployed. @LinkedIn is building on our joint skills initiative to help – with new products and resources to help those impacted by COVID-19 get back to work: https://blog.linkedin.com/2020/october/29/how-linkedin-is-helping-millions-of-people-get-back-to-work
The digital divide holds back too many of the students, seniors, farmers, small businesses, and tribes in North Dakota.
Allowing greater use of TV white spaces creates opportunities to bridge that divide.
Thanks to @AjitPaiFCC and the @FCC for taking this step. https://twitter.com/AjitPaiFCC/status/1321121841331740672
Have you read our VFI Leader Spotlight featuring @erabino? https://www.voicesforinnovation.org/vfi-leader-spotlight-eric-rabinowitz-nurturing-relationships/
A great example of #TVWS technology in action!
More #TVWS details from the @FCC ⤵️
Thank you @AjitPaiFCC, @mikeofcc, @JRosenworcel, @BrendanCarrFCC, @GeoffreyStarks and the @FCC staff for your work to advance #TVWhiteSpace tech and #5G broadband to connect every American.
The Voices for Innovation community thanks @FCC and chair @AjitPaiFCC for their approval of the final report and order to enable use of the #TVWS spectrum to help millions of Americans access broadband and close the #DigitalDivide!
Chairman @AjitPaiFCC's plan to increase broadband connectivity through the use of TV White Spaces enjoys widespread support, including from consumer groups, rural advocates, think tanks, educators, and industry groups.
#FCCLive #TVWS
ICYMI: Our #sustainability webinar featuring @Microsoft's Michelle Patron is now available for viewing any time: https://www.voicesforinnovation.org/webinar/help-tech-drive-sustainability/
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it increasingly clear that all Americans need access to broadband, so we can close the #DigitalDivide
By 2025, there will be an additional 149m technology-oriented jobs globally. @Microsoft and @LinkedIn are committed to supporting job seekers with access to free, online #digitalskills training. Learn more about our global skills initiative in @bloomberg:
https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/news/sponsors/features/hp/building-a-more-inclusive-future-of-work/?adv=12845&prx_t=hDEGAn-xHAYikPA
To make a difference, you have to be intentional and #lead with purpose. Jennifer did this with the Cloud Power Program offered at her company, @DirectionsTrain.
Jennifer, thank you for being a purpose-driven leader and an #AgentofChange! @TheWiTNetwork https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gavriella-schuster_microsoft-azure-agentofchange-activity-6724745499615875072-blpI
Privacy matters, now more than ever. VFI members will continue to advocate for the U.S. to lead on #DataPrivacy
Closing the digital divide must be a priority. We've partnered with @LandOLakesInc @TractorSupply @4H to provide free public Wi-Fi across the U.S. Search the map: https://www.americanconnection.io/
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.
Our Community
Get Involved
Fill out your information below and we’ll share tech policy news, opportunities for engagement, and invitations to webinars and other special events. Your address helps VFI match you to your legislators so you can have an impact in Washington DC and your state capitol. We respect your online privacy rights, and we’ll never sell, rent, or give away your information to any third party.
Our Issues
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.