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Microsoft continues broadband efforts

Microsoft is working to close the rural broadband gap with its Airband Initiative, which is focused on extending access to three million people in rural America by July 2022.  

Mike Egan, the senior director of Tech Spark with Microsoft, says there are about 24 million people who don’t have access to broadband.

“Their goal has really been to go around the country looking for pockets, finding local providers that may want to work with us on trying to find an internet connection,” he says. “It’s really been received so enthusiastically, so if we can connect for instance with a businessperson, you’re creating jobs and you’re also helping a student who is going home with an online assignment who couldn’t do that before.”  

Egan says he expects the initiative to continue to grow.

“We’ve already connected millions and we’re moving more and I think as we find more and more partners to engage in that work (it will continue to grow) and it’s even happening globally for us,” he says.

Brownfield spoke to Egan at the 2019 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.

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