AT&T provides laptops to Knoxville’s families in need
AT&T officials, alongside KAUL delivered the laptops to Knox County students and families on Monday.
The Knoxville Area Urban League (KAUL) and AT&T offices across East Tennessee donated laptops to students in need, as they started a new school year. The donations were part of an AT&T celebration to unveil Fiber access across Cleveland and Bradley counties. Both initiatives – the laptop donations and the expansion of fiber – are in a joint effort to offer more digital opportunities to families across the state.
The state of Tennessee is taking the “digital divide” seriously. A few weeks ago, the Broadband Office at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development hosted the annual “Digital Opportunities Summit” to discuss the issue of fiber access across the state – and most particularly in rural counties. The news about AT&T’s expansion of fiber offerings in Cleveland and Bradley counties helps the state move closer to the goal.
“At AT&T, we believe in the power of connectivity to transform lives, that’s why we invested nearly $2.3 billion in Tennessee alone from 2019 to 2023 to expand and upgrade our wired and wireless networks,” said Jim Jamison, the President of AT&T Tennessee. “To be clear, no one is doing more to close the digital divide than the men & women of AT&T. The more than 3,100 AT&T employees in Tennessee join me in our commitment to connecting our neighbors to greater possibility.”
This expansion of services now provides 100 percent fiber-optic broadband service to more than 970,000 customer locations in the state.
“Broadband expansion isn’t just connectivity; it’s an investment in our community’s future,” said Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis. “And in Bradley County, expanded fiber networks help close the digital divide and pave the way for progress.”
The decision to donate laptops to students and families in need came from community partnerships with KAUL and the Wesley House Community Center.
“As we embrace the digital age, it’s imperative that we also embrace digital equity. Distributing devices to our families is a critical step towards ensuring that students and adults have the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed,” said KAUL’s departing Chief Executive Officer Dr. Charles F. Lomax, Jr.
To read more about state broadband initiatives, read this teknovation.biz article.
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