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Daniel Lawson, senior vice president, global solutions at Verizon Business, highlighted digital equity and digital literacy during the opening keynote address at Connected America, on March 11 in Irving, Texas.

 

“Bridging the digital divide is not just about technology changes; it is a social imperative,” Lawson said. “And the way we look at it, it’s just good business. Digital equity and affordability in a post-ACP world are just critical.” The ACP was the Affordable Connectivity Program, which offered eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service. The program ended last year when Congress did not continue funding it.

 

Lawson, who made time to speak at Connected America on his birthday, encouraged his audience to “ensure that we invest in our digital skills and also make sure everyone has access to that connectivity.”  

 

He also gave his listeners a good overview of Verizon’s recent technical milestones. Lawson noted that Verizon now has more than 170,000 O-RAN radios and 23,000 D-RAN sites in its network, and said that open architectures enable the flexibility enterprise customers need. “When networks are designed right it really can change the outcome of the businesses that rely on that network,” he said.

 

Two business use cases Lawson highlighted for 5G were connected agriculture and healthcare. He also said smart city technology is top of mind for him now, and highlighted the ability to deploy digital twins for predictive maintenance.

 

Lawson also touched on AI and on non-terrestrial networks. He said Verizon is starting to "embed GPU capabilities in the infrastructure, so we can identify, respond and take the next best action on any anomaly.” This capability can be deployed in the macro network or in parts of the network dedicated to enterprise customers, he said. On the satellite front, Lawson noted that “like many we continue to partner with our friends at Skylo and AST Space Mobile.” Both are pioneers in satellite-to-device connectivity, which enables wireless carriers to extend service beyond their network footprints.