Mayor Khal Asfour said if the Covid-19 pandemic had taught us anything, “it’s the importance of digital tools to keep connected with our family, friends, education, or work”.
He says technology, and more specifically the internet, is the lifeblood that has kept our world, education system and economy moving in a time where we’ve all been instructed to stay still.
“Overnight we watched workers pack up their desks and students leave their central hubs of learning to find a new normal,” he said.
“We stayed physically distanced, yet connected through technology.”
Unfortunately, not everyone is fortunate enough to have easy access to broadband services, the NBN or sufficient cellular internet access, but the Mayor says digital equity has always been a passion of his and is pushing for change.
He said innovative cities, such as New York, Kansas and Portland in the United States, are addressing the situation by loaning WiFi hotspots through their library services.
“This technology supports community members that may be having difficulties accessing the internet; a critical lifeline during this period of Covid-19,” he said.
