Experts from public and private institutions discussed solutions for bridging the digital dive in NYC.
Dr. Larry Johnson, president of Guttman Community College; Rodney Capel, vice president of state government affairs at Spectrum ; Intekhab Shakil, NYC Department of Education Chief Technology Officer; Brett Sikoff, executive director of franchise administration and broadband at NYC’s Office of Technology and Innovation ; and Joshua Schneps, CEO of Schneps Media .
The panelists cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a wake-up call to address the disparity among public school children who could not access reliable internet connection when classes went remote. “We were still trying to make sure that the most vulnerable communities had access to education, and what we realized is that we sent students home with devices, but what we did not take into consideration was that they did not have access to the internet to continue their studies,” said Johnson.“During COVID, I saw a tremendous number of people sitting outside our libraries, outdoors. And it was evening time. And I was questioning, what are all these groups of people doing sitting outside?” he said. “It took me a little while to figure out that they were there for access to Wi-Fi.”Michael J. Garner, NYC’s chief business diversity officer, said the digital divide exists “because of the lack of equity” in communities of color. “One thing Mayor Adams has done is that he afforded free broadband to all of the residents of the New York City Housing Authority. That’s over 600,000 citizens,” Garner said. “We need to bridge the gap between a tale of two cities, which we are balancing as one city, and broadband is going to go a long way in bridging that divide.” Michael Garner, NYC’s chief business diversity officer, left, and Joshua Schneps, CEO of Schneps Media. Photo credit: Ralph De Pasat the end of 2020 showed that many students did not have access to the adequate internet required for learning remotely, the NYC Council reported. As Big Apple Connect provides the internet at home, the DOE now provides devices such as tablets and laptops that students can essentially “rent out” from their schools on days when remote learning is in session.But more still needs to be done to get New Yorkers connected, the experts agreed. Sikoff of OTI discussed the internet enhancements his office is making within the city through Big Apple Connect, which is available in 220 NYCHA developmentsBig Apple Connects is not the only solution for the city of New York, but it’s a great one for public housing residents.” Another initiative put forth to improve internet access in the city includes OTI’s Connecting Communities program, which provides funding and administrative support to city agencies such as NYC Aging and public library systems. The program features connectivity, access to devicesSikoff also discussed borough-wide Gigabit Centers, which provide access to the internet, devices, and digital skills training for both kids and adults.Throughout the event, experts agreed that these solutions and future initiatives will help continue to connect Big Apple residents to reliable internet, regardless of where they live. “It’s so clear that every New Yorker needs to be connected, whether it’s to do their work or study, or‘When Love Takes Over’: Singer Kelly Rowland partners with maternal aid non-profit to to support new mothersFisher jumps in to save man who fell into Canarsie PierApple’s new iPad ad has struck a nerve onlineBrooklyn Paper
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