Podcasts

In the latest episode of Beyond the Cable, we’re joined by Jennifer Sanders, the executive director of the Dallas Innovation Alliance.

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Dallas has boasted the fastest to market smart cities initiative in the nation, according to Jennifer Sanders, the executive director of the Dallas Innovation Alliance.

Key to the success of the initiative has been Connected Dallas.

Connected Dallas, a program run by the Dallas Innovation Alliance, has combatted the digital divides in the city with digital navigators, public outreach, and the establishment of so-called “community anchor sites.”

The first community anchor site in the city, described by the Dallas Innovation Alliance as hyper-local sites outfitted with technology and training to under-connected communities, was opened in August, in the Mill City neighborhood of South Dallas.

Along with the anchor sites, the Dallas Innovation Alliance provides digital navigators that speak a total of 16 languages.

“Anywhere we are, there is, at minimum, English and Spanish speaking digital navigators,” Sanders said. “In some of our communities that are high immigrant and refugee populations particularly, we can serve in their native language.”

As a result, she said residents have “come in and burst into tears” because they had never encountered someone in the United States who could support them fully in their native language.

Click here to listen to the full podcast interview with Sanders.

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