The hidden gap in broadband deployment

The infrastructure is being built, but is the workforce ready? During the Connected America Conference in Dallas, host Jessica Denson sat down to discuss the growing need for digital skills training. We break down the areas that require immediate focus and why digital literacy is the 'hidden gap' that could determine the success of broadband deployment across the U.S. 

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Heather Gate LinkedIn

Connected Nation website

Transcript

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Jessica Denson (00:06):
This is Connect to Nation, an award-winning podcast focused on all things broadband. From closing the digital divide to improving your internet speeds, we talk technology topics that impact all of us, our families, and our neighborhoods. On this episode of Connect to Nation, we talk about a gap in the digital divide that many are overlooking the need for digital skills training, why it's so critical, and the areas that we need to focus on now. I'm Jessica Denson, and this is Connected Nation. We are Connected America taking place in Dallas, Texas, and I am joined by Heather Gate, our Executive Vice President of Digital Transformation, which is her new and awesome title. <laugh> Uh, hi, Heather. 

Heather Gate (00:52):
Hi, Jessica. How are you? 

Jessica Denson (00:54):
I'm great. I feel like a, a conference is not complete for me unless I interview you. <laugh> And in fact, if you're not gonna be at one I'm at, I feel like I need to call you up and interview you. <laugh> 

Heather Gate (01:03):
Well, you complete me. <laugh> 

Jessica Denson (01:05):
You complete me. <laugh> Uh, there's real love between Heather and I, y'all. Uh, you just gotta know that. Well, uh, Heather, um, Connected America's an important conference. It brings together people from all over, uh, the country, all over the world really. Yeah. And there's people here from India for the first time, apparently. There's a whole vendor section of that, um, to talk about all things broadband. Mm-hmm. But for you, your passion lies and digital skills, and you're even going to, to lead, to be part of a panel for that. Talk about that panel. 

Heather Gate (01:34):
Yes. So I'm gonna be talking about workforce in the digital age. As you know, the thing that I'm most passionate about is we can talk about the nuts and bolts of connectivity all day, but the real success happens when people are using these lines. Uh-huh. Right? And so part of what I do is making sure that people have, are empowered and have the skills. And so my panel specifically is gonna be around connecting, um, people with, uh, workforce with the skills they need to participate in a quickly evolving digital economy. Mm-hmm. And so when we talk about a quickly evolving digital economy, we can't talk about that without mentioning AI and how AI is transforming the workforce. 

Jessica Denson (02:21):
Mm-hmm. And it's, that's something that's affecting people all, all ages in the workforce toward- Yeah. ... those just entering, those who've been in it for a long time. Yeah. Um, seniors, even everybody. Yeah. So how do you tackle something like that? 

Heather Gate (02:35):
I think you have to tackle it. You have to take a multi, uh, strategy approach. You know, you've gotta tackle the basics, the older folks that are having to use these, um, tools for accessing health resources. So from that perspective, you're tackling it from a basic level. How do you make sure they have the basic digital skills? 'Cause you gotta have the basic digital skills to even use AI. Mm-hmm. And then you have to talk about the workforce. How are people's jobs changing? You know, a lot of times you hear a lot more alarm about jobs being lost and we miss the part about jobs being transformed. So you may not lose your job to AI or raw robot. You may lose it to an AI savvy person- mm-hmm. ... that knows how to increase their efficiency, to be creative and to do different things.

(03:26)
Mm-hmm. But make no mistake. The skills and the talent still remain in the human. It's the person that makes the decisions. And so making sure that people understand what AI is and how they can use it in their specific expertise, 

Jessica Denson (03:41):
Right? 

Heather Gate (03:42):
Mm-hmm. An artist, how does an artist use AI? How does an accountant use AI? How is a marketing expert? That's all very specific to some skillsets. And, and then, you know, the other many different ways that AI is changing the way that we live and we operate. 

Jessica Denson (04:00):
Mm-hmm. You were talking about, there was a study that was put out recently about that, correct? Are some numbers that were put out about how many workers really need that access to AI or need to understand it? 

Heather Gate (04:10):
Yes. Um, so the, the, so tomorrow on my panel, um, the National Skills Coalition's gonna be participating and part of their participation is really grounding that we can't move beyond the basic digital skills that people don't have because they did a study a few years ago that showed that a third of Americans don't have the foundational skills. They need it to be in the workforce. And when we're talking about foundational skills, we're talking basic things like using AI. So even if you're working at a job where you're not necessarily sitting in front of your computer, your employer still needs you to have access to an email to be able to communicate with you or send you information. And so that is a big barrier. So I think part of his conversation is really grounding the conversation and saying, "We can't, we're not beyond needing to, um, provide basic skills for people.

(05:08)
" And, you know, you and I are very well aware that Connected Nation is very busy. I mean, we trained over 30,000 people in 2025 and I mean, we're talking about people who came to our classes needing help setting up an email. 

Jessica Denson (05:25):
Yes. 

Heather Gate (05:25):
And it's absolutely shocking, but it's the reality. 

Jessica Denson (05:29):
Mm-hmm. It's, it's part of the digital divide that a lot of groups have ignored- Yes. ... for far too long. And if we don't, if we continue to ignore it, the digital divide's gonna get wider and wider. Mm-hmm. Even if you have access, it doesn't matter if you don't know how to use it- Exactly. ... or why you should use it. Yeah. Uh, so, I mean, I feel like that we could've trained twice as many. Yes. Um, and still barely put a dent into the need that's out there. 

Heather Gate (05:50):
Exactly. 

Jessica Denson (05:51):
Um, with the bead, with bead dollars, there's about half, half of what was initially put out there that, um, is o- is only being spent and there's half leftover. From our point of view, from let's be very, let's be a little bit, not greedy, but let's be l- very clear on how that money should be sent. Do you think a portion of it really needs to be sent, spent on this, um, need to train people? 

Heather Gate (06:17):
Absolutely. I think when bead first, when the infrastructure bill first came up, there's a really important reason why there was money for infrastructure and money for adoption. Um, we know from experience and even from our own research when we first started, just because you build it does not mean, uh, people know how to use it. And so I think it remains an important thing for us to think about in terms of how do we maximize on this investment. This bead investment is a large investment and the only success can be realized is if this investment transforms into economic success and that only happens when people are actually using the, this infrastructure meaningfully. They're maximizing on it. Mm-hmm. So I think there's several things that we should really think seriously about doing. One of those things is really latency, making sure that these systems that we're building are gonna be able to manage the power and the, the, the, the magnitude of how much AI takes to work.

(07:27)
And so we need to invest in making sure that the pipes are big enough- mm-hmm. ... but we also need to invest in people because at the end of the day, from my perspective and my job, it's all about people. 

Jessica Denson (07:38):
Yeah. And there's a lot of talk now within those so- called experts or you could label them the experts of AI, um, that they're talking about that we cannot leave the human element out of this loop that you can only, it's only, AI is only as good as what you put in it. AI is only as good as what, who's training it, AI is only as good as who's a part of this discussion. And if we leave a whole population out of it, it's not good for any of us. Yep. And there's also this talk about making it an economic engine for the US, but what if we don't have that workforce that understands it? <laugh> 

Heather Gate (08:15):
Yeah. Yeah. It, it circles back. It's gonna circle back. I, I'm a firm believer that we'll circle back to people because I, I know in my own use of AI,

(08:26)
It's allowed me to be ef- efficient in certain ways, but it really requires my knowledge and my eye to make judgements and make decisions on what I wanna say and what I wanna ... With the judgments, I'm still making the judgments. Right. Make no mistake. And so I think maybe the misunderstanding for some people is that the robots can replace the judgment of human and the emotions that come with making those judgements. And I just believe that we're gonna come full circle and circle right back to, <laugh> to, uh, people. You know, one of the things that I think about is art, right? 

Jessica Denson (09:06):
Uh-huh. 

Heather Gate (09:07):
I've been hearing a lot of, um, AI generated music. I know now in playlists, they drop in AI generated music, and I think that's really increased the value of going to concerts and listening to the human. In, 

Jessica Denson (09:21):
In real life, yeah. Yeah. 

Heather Gate (09:23):
You can't, you can't replace that. The AI can generate a perfect song- mm-hmm. ... but the emotion that your favorite artist expresses can never be replaced by a human. So I think being able to understand where AI stands in our lives and what is priority and the priority is the human, I think remains something that us as technologists need to continue to remember. 

Jessica Denson (09:52):
I saw a, a friend sent me a TikTok- Yeah. ... this morning that was, uh, these kids, these three kids that were probably like, I don't know, nine to 12, and they were a little garage band. You know, they had a, they had, uh, guitars and they were like, "AI can't replace the human experience." No. <laugh> And that's very much, I was like, "That's definitely it. " So, uh, couple more questions. Connect to Nation provides some free resources, correct, to help people get on board with this. Yes. Talk about that. 

Heather Gate (10:19):
Yes. We've had the, for the last three years, we've had two concurrent programs that provides big digital skills training. One of them is we actually go to communities across the country. We partner with nonprofits and organizations that need us, particularly organizations that are in the front lines of providing services to people. So we will send a trainer to provide digital skills training for their constituents. So all they have to do is make sure the people show up for the training, we do all the training. And you know what's even better? <laugh> 

Jessica Denson (10:54):
We 

Heather Gate (10:54):
Leave them with the curriculum to continue, uh, because we believe in, uh, empowering community organizations to do some of it themselves if they have the capacity to. And then we have Teens Teach Tech where we empower youth to provide digital skills training themselves. 

Jessica Denson (11:13):
Yeah. Which is really cool to see because the intergenerational thing with that- Yes, absolutely. ... it's really awesome to see these kids or teens, young adults- Yeah. ... interact with older generations and- Absolutely. ... and get a lot of value out of that. I've seen that personally. It's really cool. That's fantastic. Um, so let's talk about something super exciting that's happening. Yes. Um, Connect to Nation is celebrating its 25, 25th anniversary in 2026, and as part of that, Heather is planning, I'm helping a little <laugh> this really amazing project to hit a world record. 

Heather Gate (11:48):
Yeah. 

Jessica Denson (11:49):
Talk about that. 

Heather Gate (11:50):
Well, don't undersell yourself. You are the executive producer and director of the whole thing. We are going to be hosting the longest digital skills marathon for 25 hours in September, and it's going to be broadcast on multiple streaming platforms globally. 

Jessica Denson (12:13):
Mm-hmm. 

Heather Gate (12:14):
And it is not only going to be broadcast from the United States, but we're going to go across the globe, so stay tuned for more big 

Jessica Denson (12:23):
Announcements and- Oh, it's super exciting. 

Heather Gate (12:25):
Yeah. 

Jessica Denson (12:25):
Yeah. And 

Heather Gate (12:26):
We will be announcing our sponsors and partners soon, and also we are working with a large record breaking organization to make it official. Stay tuned. 

Jessica Denson (12:39):
With some exciting 

Heather Gate (12:39):
Announcements. 

Jessica Denson (12:41):
I'm excited about that. I still want to tell everybody, but not yet. Um, and y'all, you guys were looking for partners, we're looking for people who want to do host parties and, and watch this and be a part of a world record. I mean, how many times can you say that in your lifetime that you were part of a world record setting- Exactly. ... day. Um, this is happening in September. Yes. Contact us now, get involved, be a sponsor, be a partner- Yes. ... do a host party, uh, help us train some people. Um, you can, you can contact us at worldrecord@connectednation.org or just come to connectednation.org. Um, is that what you're most excited about this year? <laugh> 

Heather Gate (13:16):
Yes. I'm very excited and nervous because it's a really, really big undertaking and it's really, it's really, really an important time to do it because I think, you know, technology connects us all. And so for us to do this globally is a very important thing and also because our, our whole model, 25 years of Connected Nation has been about partnering with other organizations. Mm-hmm. So this is not just a celebration of Connected Nation, but it's about partnerships and imp- partnerships that help to empower people. So I'm really, really excited. It's, it's, um, it's a big way for us to celebrate, um, our 25 years of service. 

Jessica Denson (13:57):
It's gonna be an exciting two days. Yeah. And we're gonna be exhausted afterwards, but talk about what a cool thing to do. Yeah. So join, we hope you all join us for that. Absolutely. And Heather Gay, I know you wanna make, um, one of our, uh, our, um, co- our colleagues- Yes. ... uh, Molly Weiner is going to be hosting a panel, so I know you wanna make that. Yes. What's her panel about, do you know? 

Heather Gate (14:15):
Oh, let 

Jessica Denson (14:17):
Me- <laugh> that's 

Heather Gate (14:17):
All 

Jessica Denson (14:18):
Right. I would 

Heather Gate (14:18):
Tell you. 

Jessica Denson (14:19):
I put you on the spot. 

Heather Gate (14:20):
You put me on the spot, but I can, I have it right here. And Molly's wonderful. 

Jessica Denson (14:27):
She is wonderful. She- She does a lot. She works a lot in the state of Texas. Yeah. She does a lot works with the state broadband offices. She helps, uh, got a lot of technology planning, um, for local communities. She is extremely knowledgeable. Yeah. 

Heather Gate (14:40):
She's very knowledgeable. And her panel is about expanding connectivity, creating pathways to digital and economic opportunity, and she has a few of our friends on that panel that is a Dallas Innovation Alliance. 

Jessica Denson (14:54):
Oh, yeah. 

Heather Gate (14:55):
And CompuDot, who we partnered with to provide devices last year. Oh, is it this year? <laugh> 

Jessica Denson (15:02):
It all blends together. <laugh> 

Heather Gate (15:03):
And then Brent Perkins from po- Comcast and Kevin Gunn from the city of Fort Worth. So 

Jessica Denson (15:10):
That's gonna 

Heather Gate (15:10):
Be an interesting panel. 

Jessica Denson (15:12):
I'll have to grab her later and get a, a, a wrap up. Yeah. Well, thank you again, Heather Gay. Thank you so much. Executive Vice President, digital transformation for Connected Nation. 

Heather Gate (15:20):
Thank you so much. 

Jessica Denson (15:22):
Keep doing the good work you do. 

Heather Gate (15:23):
You too. Thank you so much. 

Jessica Denson (15:30):
On future episodes of Connected Nation, we'll bring you more details from Connected America taking place in Dallas, Texas. Until then, I'm Jessica Denson and this is Connected Nation.