We know – and have seen firsthand – how connection changes everything. Especially as we near the end of another year, a connected device and high-speed internet connection can unlock a whole set of new possibilities as people jumpstart their plans for the year ahead.
For our team in Florida, we wanted to help students and families close out the year on the right foot, with the connected resources that would set the sky as the limit for the new year. So, on December 6th we wanted to do something special by bringing resources that not only help end 2023 on a high note but kick off 2024 with a bang. This marked our first AT&T Florida Day of Connectivity.
We thought there was no better way to mark the occasion than with the opening of a new AT&T Connected Learning Center in Orlando. The Center, which is our 3rd in the Sunshine State, opened in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida inside their Jacqueline Bradley and Clarence Otis Family Branch facility (Bradley-Otis Clubhouse).
“A club like none other,” the Bradley-Otis Clubhouse is truly a special place, offering opportunities for students and families in Orlando. In addition to the library spaces, music labs, and art studio already in the Clubhouse, students in the neighborhood can now swing by to access free high-speed internet, devices, and mentoring inside the new Connected Learning Center.
At the same time, we were celebrating our new collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, we were also building on an existing relationship. Keeping the momentum going on our Florida Day of Connectivity, we got together with our friends at the Overtown Youth Center at our Connected Learning Center in Miami to deliver 200 laptops to residents in the area. The event, attended by AT&T volunteers and OYC staff, was a great representation of our commitment to working within the community to deliver opportunity directly into the hands of residents. The smiles on students and families faces said it all.
“This continued collaboration helps bridge the digital divide by empowering students and families with the tool of knowledge, fostering digital equity and creating pathways for brighter futures within our community,” said Tina Brown, OYC Miami CEO.
And to cap off the Day of Connectivity, we were pleased to announce that we were expanding AT&T Fiber in not just one but three different areas in Florida. In Key Largo, Countryside and Pine Hills, we expanded Fiber to more than 1,400 customer locations.
Through these network expansions, we’re building to provide speed, reliability, and value for consumers and businesses in Florida. And now, these households have access to high-speed internet to connect them to new opportunities in the new year.
Looking Ahead
We’re proud of the milestones achieved throughout 2023 across Florida. As the new year begins, we’re excited about all the future possibilities. On the Day of Connectivity and every day after, whether opening AT&T Connected Learning Centers or distributing laptops and expanding fiber, we’re working toward a future where everyone has access to digital resources. These are efforts we want to replicate throughout 2024, and the years to follow, so we can continue to help make a brighter future for our neighbors across Florida.
