COVID-19 will change everything, including how society is governed. Shirley Bloomfield, NTCA CEO, saw a glimpse of how things might change with NTCA’s recent virtual legislative conference. Joining Shirley to discuss her impressions of how that event went, is communications and outreach expert, Tanya Sullivan, president and CEO of Plus One Strategic Communications.

The upshot is that, although technology is serving as a bridge across the physical separation, it has its limitations. With these limitations come opportunities to create a secure, accessible platform that allows Congress to work and vote remotely.

The shutdown is giving Congress a taste of a future, where they might be able to spend more time with the people they represent and less time in Washington. Bloomfield and Sullivan agree that nothing beats face-to-face interactions and the serendipitous results from being with their members or customers, respectively.

We also discuss the various form of digital divides that separate us, whether its access to broadband, affordability, devices, and platforms. A divide we didn’t explicitly speak is the one caused by technology gremlins. These gremlins cause endless frustration and sometimes get in the way of communication (see Quit Battering My Self Esteem). In the above video, there was a technology gremlin that made it sound like this author had just inhaled helium.

A big thank you to Shirley and Tanya for spending their late Friday afternoon with ViodiTV.

Highlights from the conversation:

• 00:46 – Shirley provides an overview of NTCA and its member companies
• 01:56 – Tanya explains the type of services Plus One Strategic Communications offers
• 03:07 – NTCA’s legislative conference helps regulators & policymakers understand the impact their rules have on the providers that account for about 35% of the land-mass and millions of people who are their customers.
• 05:44 – NTCA had to pivot from a real to a virtual legislative conference at the last minute. Shirley explains how they were able to recreate the conference through pre-recorded and live video conferencing.
• 07:13 – Social media has been a great way for NTCA members to communicate with Congress.
• 09:37 – Tanya was encouraged by the authenticity of the NTCA legislative event and how it made the representatives and regulators much more relatable.
• 10:22 – Tanya points out that one advantage to virtual platforms is that the content is archived and available, unlike many live presentations. She also recommends being part of video conference calls in the morning while you are fresh.
• 11:54 – Proving her right about one not being on the top of his game in the afternoon, this author talks for about ten seconds with his microphone muted.
• 12:17 – The conversation turns to the issues of connectivity, affordability, devices, and platform as elements that divide us. Shirley points to Nemont and their donation of 400 Chromebooks to schools as an example of the kind of effort NTCA members make to close the device divide. This is especially significant, as Nemont only has approximately 11,000 customers. See this Calix video interview with Nemont’s Mike Kilgore for more detail.
• 15:10 – There is an application divide as well, which isn’t discussed too often. For instance, if one doesn’t download a popular app, because of, say, privacy concerns, he can be left out of the conversation. Bloomfield talks about her experience with Quibi and her interview with that platform. She mentions that Congress is struggling with online platforms.
• 19:12 – The idea of virtual governance is discussed and its near and long-term impact. Bloomfield indicates that the oral arguments that the Supreme Court will hear next week may be a significant next step towards virtualization of government. Both Bloomfield and Sullivan express concern that video conferencing platforms still can’t replace body cues and subtle expressions inherent in a face-to-face meeting.
• 21:31 – Could the existing technology allow Congress to spend more time with their constituents, instead of Washington D.C.? Bloomfield suggested it could be a boon to democracy if Congress could spend more of their time at home. She joked it would be good for her personally, as it would reduce traffic in the D.C. metro area.
• 23:30 – Bloomfield comments on the idea of using broadband and technology to distribute portions of the Executive Branch away from Washington D.C., such as what the Department of Agriculture did last year. A big concern should be the security of the communications channels, particularly if Congress meets online and needs to vote.
• 24:50 – Cybershare, NTCA’s new program to help its members share information about cybersecurity on small provider networks. Shirley explains that this grew platform grew out of a pilot with the Department of Homeland Security. NTCA and its members have been involved in the NIST Cyber
• 30:20 – Tanya talks about the 12 hours of online training that she did this week, which was originally supposed to be in-person in North Dakota. Going forward, this sort of online training will be part of the future. She thinks we will get back to the point of meeting again, but it may be more of a mix.
• 33:49 – Shirley and Tanya reveal what they will and will not miss about the shutdown.