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Connected Nation
This is Connected Nation – an award-winning podcast focused on all things broadband. From closing the Digital Divide to simply improving your internet speeds, we talk technology topics that impact all of us, our families, and our communities.
The podcast was honored in 2024 with an Award of Excellence for Podcast Series - Technology. This is the highest honor given by the Communicator Awards. More recently, the podcast received an Award of Distinction in 2025. It received the same honor in 2023 and 2022.
Learn more about the national nonprofit behind this podcast at connectednation.org.
Connected Nation
Where civil rights and digital access meet
In this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from the Broadband Communities Summit in Houston, Texas.
Jessica Denson speaks with Tyler Dempsey and Shelby Smith of Sonar Software about what sets their OSS/BSS platform apart in a rapidly changing industry—and why launching their new podcast “Bandwidth” is part of building stronger connections.
Later, we hear from Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan, Chief of Staff and VP of Federal Affairs at the National Urban League. She shares why broadband access is a critical civil rights issue and how digital equity is foundational to economic empowerment.
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Jessica Denson (00:08):
On this episode, we continue our coverage from the Broadband Community Summit, and I talk with leadership at the National Urban League about why telecommunications is critical to their mission. Plus, I sit down with two representatives from Sonar Software who say they pride themselves on being more adaptable than others. I'll explain. I'm Jessica Sen, and this is Connected Nation. I am still at the Broadband Community Summit, which is taking place in Houston, June 24th and 25th. This is the first full day, and I am back in what we, what's called the podcast area Podcast Lounge, uh, pulse Podcast Lounge, I believe is the full title, correct? Tyler Dempsey (00:53):
I, I think so, Jessica Denson (00:53):
Yeah. And I am with Shelby Smith and Tyler Dempsey with So Sonar Software. Um, we'll switch the, the words there. <laugh>. <laugh>. How are you both doing? We're good. Fantastic. Great. Shelby Smith (01:05):
Yeah. Jessica Denson (01:06):
Um, tell me a little bit about, um, sonar Software. We'll start with you, Tyler. Tyler Dempsey (01:10):
Sure. Yeah. So Sonar is a, a the next generation of O-S-S-B-S-S platforms for ISPs of all shapes and sizes. Um, we've had a, a long origin. So we, we started out 10 years ago as a, as a fixed wireless, uh, O-S-S-B-S-S, uh, in Canada. And we've continually evolved from there. Um, we now service fiber to the home operators, uh, VoIP operators, um, and as the, uh, the landscape continues to evolve with things like open access, um, with the, uh, the move to, uh, big wireless 5G Internet, uh, we're continuing to evolve our platform to meet the needs of the operators out there in the space, uh, and, and try to encompass everybody's needs, not just a select team. Jessica Denson (02:01):
And Shelby, how would you describe Sonar, uh, software? Uh, adding to what he had to say, but maybe add also what your roles are with the company? Shelby Smith (02:11):
So I am a customer service relation, uh, customer relations manager for Sonar. Um, so my role's a little different. Tyler's in sales. Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (02:19):
Yep. Shelby Smith (02:19):
Uh, so I start with the customers once they decide to go with Sonar Software, and I kind of like to think of my role as a customer advocate. Um, we will have all communication with the customer after they have been onboarded into the product. So moving forward, I will be their point of contact for any changes, any integrations, any adaptations, um, that they may have, as well as contract negotiations going forward, any professional services they may need, uh, to talk to us about. So I think I get a little bit different perspective from the angle that I am very customer forward. Um, we are constantly daily, weekly, monthly reaching out to our customers to see how the product is working for them, what we can do to improve that, what, if any, pain points they might be having. And so that's sort of my focus in my role, uh, with Sonar, is really trying to improve that customer experience while having, you know, a very, uh, forward thinking product that is really adjusting to the needs of the customers we we service. Jessica Denson (03:29):
So really, Tyler, you deal with outside bringing them in and Shelby, you deal with once a customer's with the company. Is that correct? Tyler Dempsey (03:38):
Absolutely. That's that's completely correct. Jessica Denson (03:39):
Okay. So tell us, uh, why we're here today? 'cause we're in this, uh, as I mentioned, the Pulse podcast. Do I have that right? Am I saying it right, the Pulse podcast? Tyler Dempsey (03:50):
I think so. I think so. Jessica Denson (03:51):
Um, and Sonar just launched a podcast, right? Tyler Dempsey (03:54):
We Jessica Denson (03:54):
Did talk about that. Tyler, you can go first. Tyler Dempsey (03:57):
So the, the podcast, like you said, is it's still relatively new. Um, we're, we're trying to focus, not necessarily on any specific topic within the industry, but just get a pulse, ah, nice pun <laugh>. Try to get a pulse on the industry and, and allow folks to stay up to date on technology in the space, uh, AI usage and how operators are using ai, just general operator stories. I mean, there's, there's lots of stories I know that the ISPs across the nation and even globally have, uh, that can really resonate. And so we're trying to focus on that and, and give a, give a, a nice, uh, way for you to quickly glean what's going on in the industry. Shelby Smith (04:44):
So I think to take that one step further, the podcast bandwidth is really just that, it, it is not necessarily about sonar, but just trying to bring operators together, but discussing everything from technical, uh, advances to focusing a lot on customer experience and the difference between the two. You can, you know, how to bridge that gap between use, between customer experience and still being highly efficient, highly technical, highly, uh, technology forward. Again, Tyler mentioned AI is things like everybody's talking about, but we also try to have super open conversations about things happening in the industry, the changes in the bead funding right now mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, you know, the pull of acquisitions, there are so many acquisitions going on in the industry. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. People combining forces to get their message out, to get their product out and stuff. So it really is, um, a broader discussion than just O-S-S-B-S-S orientated, and that's exactly what they wanted it to be. Our second podcast just dropped this morning for everybody who's up there. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. I, it is fantastic. I listened to it first thing this morning. Um, I think as we get a little bit more comfortable in this space and everybody opens up and kind of, you do this all the time so we can see you're very comfortable. We're a little bit new into this, so, um, but it's just about having good, smart conversations to try and bring people together in this space that we've all worked in for so long. Jessica Denson (06:23):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So why do you think it's important for us, as in, as the industry, even in broadband space, community leaders, those type to come together at events like this? Well, how would you answer that, Tyler? Tyler Dempsey (06:41):
It's extremely important because PE Jessica Denson (06:49):
You could rests say It's all right. You want me to restate Tyler Dempsey (06:52):
It? Yeah, Jessica Denson (06:52):
Yeah, please. <laugh>. Three, two, let me say a false start. 6 25. Okay. 3, 2, 1. So why is it important to come to events like Broadband Community Summit, bring the podcast, bring your staff, um, interact with different organizations? Why is it important to come to something like this? Tyler Dempsey (07:13):
Well, how else are you gonna learn what's going on in the industry? If you're not networking face to face, there's a lot that you can learn over a phone call. There's a lot that you can learn over an email Jessica Denson (07:22):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Tyler Dempsey (07:22):
But face to face is where you really, really can dig in and get to understand what's going on in the space where we, what we need to address, what the needs are of, uh, Jessica Denson (07:34):
<laugh>. That's dks over there. Tyler Dempsey (07:36):
Yeah. Yeah, Jessica Denson (07:37):
Yeah. <laugh>, Tyler Dempsey (07:37):
They, uh, they're quite loud. Jessica Denson (07:39):
Yeah. Tyler Dempsey (07:39):
Um, I mean, yeah, you, you where you, where you really learn and you, uh, you get your knowledge from of the industry, I feel like is, is in person. That's where, that's how, that's how I entered the industry. That's how I've gotten to where I am, is the face-to-face. Um, yeah. Jessica Denson (07:56):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And how would you answer that, Shelby? I, Shelby Smith (08:00):
I think it's all about relationships. Um, and multiple different levels. I think people come to these types of events having different intentions. We have vendors here. We have potential customers looking for product, learning about product. Uh, now we have this wonderful new medium to the industry where we're all getting to know each other at a different level. Um, but I think to build a world class culture to do things, you know, we're a very relationship driven, uh, company. Um, we truly think of our customers as our partners. We, we want them to think of us as their partner. So to get that kind of face time, uh, if they are also in attendance, I think is incredibly important. And also, so we make sure we're doing our due diligence and our work to be knowledgeable about the industry, to be knowledgeable about possible people we can partner with to make our product better. Um, and so, you know, they don't have to do a lot of that themselves. We come in many different roles. We've got the podcast team here. We have Tyler doing sales. I am looking for my customers to say hello to get, find out what their needs are, and then, you know, take it upon ourselves to go say, Hey, how can we fix this? Can we partner with you? Can we partner with that? I don't think you can maybe understand all the options or know all your options if you don't come to events like these. Tyler Dempsey (09:31):
Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Yeah. The face, the face to face time is, is extremely key. Yeah. It's Shelby Smith (09:35):
Extremely Jessica Denson (09:35):
Key. Yeah. Especially after a time when we were forced away from each other, I would say. Shelby Smith (09:41):
Yeah. Yeah. Jessica Denson (09:41):
Yeah. It makes it even more important to have that connection than one-on-one. Shelby Smith (09:47):
And I think there's something to be said for knowing who you're doing business with and whether depending on whatever side of the, of the table you're on, if you're the vendor, if you're the customer, if you're purchasing something, if you are, you know, looking to invest in something, I think it goes a long way in knowing who that person is. And especially after everything we went through in the world where we didn't know anybody at all. Yeah. Yeah. Um, you know, sonar turned 10 in May. We had our first in-person all hands meeting sales kickoff in February of this year, where in there were people that had worked together for 7, 8, 9, possibly all of the 10 years that hadn't met in person. And I think if we took anything from the time when we couldn't all get together, it was maybe going back to how important that knowing the people you're dealing with is and having that face-to-face time. Jessica Denson (10:48):
Is there anything that's coming from Sonar that's pretty exciting or that you guys are excited about that you can share? Um, or really what you want people to know sets the company apart from other organizations? Tyler Dempsey (11:00):
Yeah, so something that's coming that, that I think is, is very key for, for operators looking to scale, is our new Data connect platform. Um, so Data Connect allows you to visualize your data that is in your sonar instance without having to go build a report. You can connect it directly to your, your bi to your, your Power bi, to your Tableau, uh, your look or BI to really get very granular with your data. Um, 360 Broadband, for example, which is a customer of ours, uh, they're using it for more than just take rates. They're using it for, uh, visualizing, uh, successful installs, uh, successful site surveys for fixed wireless. Um, so yeah. There's, there's a a lot to that. Um, Shelby, you wanna, you wanna add? Shelby Smith (11:47):
Yeah, I think that's an exciting thing. I also think what's exciting from my point of view is the integrations that we have going on, um, we are integrating with partners at a record pace, so our customers can do more from within their Sonar platform to manage and run their networks. Um, we are having things all the time. We are always getting feedback from our customers as far as, what equipment are you using? Is this something that we can build for you? How can we make this more efficient? So I think that's incredibly exciting for us. Um, are the integrations that are coming out and, uh, just the efficiency that that's providing to the customers, mainly, uh, mostly on the network side, I would say. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. But it is, you know, it's a game changer for a lot of our customers to have their equipment integrated into Sonar. And we wanna be that platform. We wanna be their platform. We want them to see it all and do it all from their sonar instance. Tyler Dempsey (12:49):
And what makes that integration piece happen with Sonar is the fact that we are API first, from an architecture standpoint, everything you can do within the Sonar gui, you can do through API, and that also helps, um, ISPs that may have an in-house development team, they can go and even build their own integrations, tie in their own, uh, self-developed tools. Um, so there's a, there's a a lot to like there. And that's something that I've seen a lot of other O-S-S-B-S-S platforms in this space before I came to Sonar. Uh, and I think that's something that really sets us apart is the fact that we enable you to go and build your own tools if you want, or we can build them for you. It's, it's, it's a, uh, choose your own journey type idea. Jessica Denson (13:31):
Yeah, great point. That's interesting. Um, so something I do with every guest that I interview is generally when I've had time to research, I prep and we talk about their background before we dive into the company. Well, when I'm out in the field, generally, it's the opposite <laugh>. So I would love to hear from each of you, uh, a little bit about your background that you'd wanna share and what brought you to Sonar. And again, since we've been doing Tyler, Shelby, let's continue with that little format, and Shelby, we'll get the last word. Tyler Dempsey (14:02):
So, I've been in the, the telecom industry for about nine years now. I've, I've mm-hmm <affirmative>. I've been across, uh, tier one ISPs with at and t, uh, worked with T-Mobile in the past. Uh, I've been in the voice world with Momentum Telecom, with their white label, uh, voiceover IP space. What brought me to Sonar is the fact that we truly try to partner with ISPs. And we, we don't try to pigeonhole you into, uh, an integration partner that you may not wanna work with, with our API first, our API first architecture, you can go in, you can, you can choose your own journey. You can choose who you want to integrate with. We're not, we're not pigeonholing you into something that doesn't work for your ISP. Uh, and I think that's very powerful. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Shelby Smith (14:46):
Yeah. I, you know, starting at the beginning and working or at the end and working, um, I wanted to come to Sonar because I absolutely love the product. Um, I was a user of the product before I worked here, so I, I have been on the other side of, of the platform. Um, and I loved it from the first time I demoed it, um, back in 2019 or so, uh, through the entire time, uh, using it. I mean, you always have things that they were a great group of people to work with. Uh, my background, I started as a fiber switch engineer, uh, back in the day, a little bit longer than nine years ago. I'm a little older than I <laugh>, um, <laugh> and moved into doing some satellite bandwidth before moving into VoIP, uh, more on the operations management network side of things. Um, again, hence how I was a user of Sonar prior to coming to work here.
(15:41)
Um, I think the atmosphere of just wanting to be the type of company Sonar wants to be, I just find it all exciting. I find it, um, you know, it's just something that I felt I wanted to be a part of. So when this opportunity came up, um, you know, I joke all the time when I demoed the product way back when, and they asked after the demo, do you have any questions? And I think my first response then was, are you guys hiring <laugh>? Um, I just thought it was innovative, um, what it was doing for us at the time. The whole billing part of it was secondary, uh, to what I thought our needs were, but it was, again, combining the other things. We took seven different platforms between CRMs, ticketing platforms, different monitoring platforms, and we needed to roll it all into one space. And that's what we got with Sonar. And, um, yeah, that's about it. I just, you know, uh, the opportunity came up many years later and I couldn't be more grateful for it. I just think it's a company to watch. I think we're going in all the right places and we're trying to do it the right way. So this, uh, Jessica Denson (16:49):
Podcast, the, let's go back to that. It's called Bandwidth. Shelby Smith (16:52):
Yep. Jessica Denson (16:53):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, little competition, but I'm okay with the friendly competition. I'm, I'm happy with that. Tyler Dempsey (16:57):
We don't wanna compete. Jessica Denson (16:57):
Yeah. No, yeah. Yeah. I'm just kidding. Um, so the first two episodes, what are, what are the topics? Tyler Dempsey (17:04):
So first one was how to comp, how to compete against the big ISPs in the space. Yeah. How to compete against the Spectrums, the Coxes Good. The, at ts Jessica Denson (17:12):
That's a good topic. Tyler Dempsey (17:13):
Yeah. Um, yeah. And it's something that's gonna continue to get, be more and more relevant as, uh, Shelby Smith (17:18):
Yeah. Jessica Denson (17:18):
Bead Tyler Dempsey (17:18):
Funds start getting dispersed to, to those guys, which, um mm-hmm <affirmative>. Personal opinion here, I'm, I'm not a fan of, um, but I digress. <laugh> <laugh>. Jessica Denson (17:29):
And then what's the one you're dropping the, Shelby Smith (17:31):
Today, this morning that's more focused? I think, you know, a lot of our po uh, podcasts are focused between the larger companies and the smaller companies. Most of our customers, although this is changing a lot more so in the fiber to home space, um, you know, we have this conflict between rural and, you know, the big guys and things like that. So we always try and keep that in the back of our minds a little bit and in center and have conversations that are relative to both the one this morning had a lot to do with AI and AI's effect on the network. Um, and is that something that we're planning for? Are people, you know, now you're seeing marketing pop up that were ai you know, ai, were an AI network, were AI compliant. I don't know if that's really, it doesn't matter because there's nothing against it right now, but you're starting to see that a lot in marketing and stuff. And I think this morning podcast a lot talked about, are people planning, or have people seen as AI grows an effect on networks? You know, mainly like in the wist space and stuff as what happened when people started streaming? Jessica Denson (18:42):
Right. Shelby Smith (18:42):
You know, uh, are, or are we prepared for that? Because, you know, it's one thing if you just ask chat GDP to help you write an email. But now we're starting to get into complex queries and we're starting to get in a lot of back and forth, and what is that effect that we're seeing on people's networks and the quality of service that's going to other things that they may be using outside of ai, but all competing in the same, you know, across the same network. Jessica Denson (19:09):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Shelby Smith (19:10):
Uh, so that was this morning's, and I think they're just getting better. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's an interesting one. Yeah. Jessica Denson (19:16):
And, uh, they do both, you guys do both video and audio, right? Tyler Dempsey (19:20):
We do, we do. Jessica Denson (19:20):
So they had on YouTube, bandwidth on YouTube, and then the rest, YouTube, Spotify, Tyler Dempsey (19:25):
Spotify, apple. Right. Uh, Jessica Denson (19:26):
But the other ones Spotify, apple, and those, those are just audio. Yes. Yeah. But they can find us on YouTube. Well, good luck on it. I I, I wish you all luck and thank you so much, Tyler Dempsey and Shelby Smith with Sonar Software for talking with me today. Shelby Smith (19:39):
Thanks so much for Very nice meeting you. Thank you. Jessica Denson (19:44):
I am standing just outside the exhibit hall at the Broadband Community Summit taking place in Houston, Texas, June 24th and 25th. And I have run into Addca gon Did I do it right? Close enough. Oh, Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (19:58):
Addca Jessica Denson (19:59):
Aca. It's such a beautiful name. Thank you. You, Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (20:02):
It's, Jessica Denson (20:02):
Is it, um, African? Is it? Yes, it's Nigerian. Nigerian. It's really a beautiful name. Thank you. And Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (20:07):
So I hate that. Jessica Denson (20:07):
I quite alright. Didn't do it right. Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (20:10):
Um, you are not the first, you probably will not be the last. Jessica Denson (20:12):
Probably not. It's my, my, my, uh, southern accent. I need to be exposed to more unique and beautiful names. Uh, mine's just Jessica. It's, it's sad <laugh> Jessica. It's a pleasure. <laugh>. Sad and tough. Um, the, the reason I stopped you is you're with the National Urban League and, um, we chatted just a little bit last night at the Shelby Coalition that you're at. Um, tell why you're here and why it's important for you to attend things and be in conversation with, with people with the Shelby Coalition and other groups. Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (20:40):
Well, thank you so much Jessica, for the opportunity to tell my story, the National Urban League story, um, on the podcast. Um, my name is Addie Inka. I'm the Chief of staff and Vice President of Federal Affairs at the National Urban League's Washington Bureau. It is the policy and adequacy arm of the National Urban League. And for those that are not familiar, the National Urban League is a legacy civil rights organization, more than a hundred years old. Um, that really advocates for the economic empowerment and improvement for, um, black and brown communities. Um, so, but I'm here because I also lead our tech and telecom engagement. I have a background in broadband adoption. Prior to coming to the National Urban League, I worked for Education. Superhighway led their government affairs and policy team there. So really passionate about the issues of broadband access and digital equity. And, um, our organization in the National Urban League is as well, we see digital equity and broadband access as one of the key civil rights issues of the 21st century. And so it's, at this time, critically, it's important to continue driving that message of why access and adoption are so critically important, even with all the uncertainty and changes around the BEAD program and the Digital Equity Act programs. Jessica Denson (21:48):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So, so I'm, I'm struck. Um, I do wanna ask about social media. Yeah. Because, uh, a lot of times, especially bla black and brown populations, their stories or your stories have been told through the eyes of others. Yes. Whereas social media, it strikes me, even though there's some bad things to social media Yes. That the stories can be told directly from the people. Do you feel like that gives, that has raised the platform for a lot of people that are minorities or, or other populations? Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (22:19):
Yes. I think social media has broadened the public square in terms of people being able to share their stories, to advocate, to mobilize. Um, we've definitely seen that both, um, at the National Urban League, we use, utilize social media to get the message out mm-hmm <affirmative>. To mobilize our movement and communities to let them know what's happening from a policy perspective, how it impacts them, how they can engage with the members of Congress, but also just like sharing and building community online. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. It's so important to be able to connect with people, um, who are like you, who are not like you to hear different voices and perspectives. And social media is a key tool for that. Yes. There are some dangers and drawbacks as well. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And not everything that happens on social media platforms is nice or friendly, especially to those, um, who are in the black community or ever other diverse communities as well. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. We also experience lots of hate speech and other things like that, but it is still a galvanizing force and a great tool, um, for mobilizing and organizing Jessica Denson (23:15):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So at the National Urban League, what do people get right or wrong about the organization or right and wrong? Oh, Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (23:21):
Wow. That's a really powerful question. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, what they get right, I think is our passion for economic empowerment and really the uplift of folks in our communities, giving them access to resources and tools for economic empowerment, be it jobs, workforce development mm-hmm <affirmative>. Skilling training, all of that that's really core to our mission, um, with the most mission of the organization and our five pillars of work. Um, I think what they get wrong is that we only care about black issues. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. We have a strong coalition of partners, um, for example, through our Demand Diversity round table, where we advocate on the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion. And that is a multifaceted group of organizations that are invested in that issue. So lots of coalition building across, um, perspectives and across policy Jessica Denson (24:04):
Areas. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Now I do recognize that things change, um, as new administrations come and go and good or bad for different populations. But with the, the things that are going on with DEI, where that's kind of like the a dirty, you're not supposed to say that, can't say that. Uh, how do you, how do you deal with something like that where you're, you're deal, you're working in inclusion and equity, um, how do you, do you try to shift the narrative or talk more? What is, what is it that you do? Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (24:34):
We, we talk more, um, like I mentioned, we launched our Demand Diversity roundtable earlier this year to emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and how it is not only foundational to civil rights law, but also to the values of our country. We strive to be an inclusive society where everyone not only just has an opportunity to participate, but has a fair shot at taking advantage of those opportunities. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. That is core to who we are as a country or who we strive to be as a country. And so we're not gonna stop saying the word diversity <laugh>. We're not gonna stop saying equity. We're not gonna stop cha stop championing inclusion. It is, um, central to the Civil Rights Act. It is essential to a core, um, of who we are as a nation, and we're gonna continue to advocate for it. Jessica Denson (25:16):
Um, I'm strict at how, how critical the idea of having diverse voices at a table is for the u not just for the US but for companies, for telecommunications, for any industry that you're in, that the, the more, um, diverse your voices are, the more ideas, the more out the box thinking you get. Um, what are some things that you do to help organizations see that or move down that path? Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (25:43):
Well, we participate in, um, a number of spaces or tables with corporate partners, with our nonprofit partners and academia, really making sure that they are hearing from our perspective, but also others in the civil society, human rights space as well. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Like you don't know what you don't know. Right. And sometimes it's having those different voices at the table that helps to shine a light on, say, for example, your customer base or your messaging or a program shift that you want to make. And having those first diverse perspectives is key to making those decisions, whether you're in the business space, the academic space, or what have you. And so I think we try to be, um, a resource for that, not only in offering our perspective mm-hmm <affirmative>. But also bringing others to the table. Jessica Denson (26:27):
So, uh, for the, the National Urban League, do you, you work, I know nationally, of course it's in your name, but do you also work at the community level? Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (26:35):
Yes. We have 92 affiliates across 36 states, and the District of Columbia who, um, do a lot of direct service work in addition to their state or local advocacy, but they're really focused on providing direct services in their communities. Yes. Jessica Denson (26:49):
Mm-hmm <affirmative>. What, what do you feel, and it, it could be either from your point of view or the point of view, the organization to whatever you feel comfortable sharing, what do you feel is the next big, um, obstacle and or opportunity that's ahead? Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (27:01):
Ooh. Wow. Um, well, of course keeping my tech and telecom hat on. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. I think the next big obstacle is that broadband is no longer, um, the sexy topic from a policy perspective. Mm-hmm. Folks have moved on to AI or the next, you know, sexy thing. And I think, um, an obstacle there is keep reminding folks that digital equity, broadband access, it is foundational to even everything that we wanna do with artificial intelligence. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. You need connectivity, you need, um, a workforce who can access and participate in that economy, that digital economy and everything that AI will unleash. Um, and I think keeping that pressure on, um, our lawmakers and our policy makers to realize that nexus and that they can't just put it on the shelf and move on, um, is where my focus is. So Jessica Denson (27:48):
Great. So anything that you would want, um, people to understand or know about the National Urban League that we didn't touch on? Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (27:55):
No, I think we covered, you know, what we do, our core mission and the work that's important to us. And like I said, if you're not familiar, um, please check out our website and ul.org. Learn more about, um, the national organization as well as the affiliates in your community. Jessica Denson (28:08):
Uh, I'll include a link in the description of our podcast. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I appreciate your time today. Thank Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan (28:13):
You, Jessica. Jessica Denson (28:22):
We will continue our coverage from the Broadband Community Summit on our next episode of Connected Nation. I'm Jessica Denson. Thanks for listening. If you wanna know more about us, head to connected nation.org or find our latest episodes on your favorite podcast platforms.
