The Look Ahead: Misty Allen, VP of government and regulatory affairs, Comcast’s Beltway Region

Internet affordability. Device access. Digital literacy. Those are three issues that underlie the digital divide, and therefore what solutions must address.

Misty Allen is the VP of government and regulatory affairs for Comcast’s Beltway Region. As the primary internet service provider in Baltimore city, Comcast is often brought up when the topic turns to the digital divide. So Allen appeared on our video series on lessons from the pandemic year to give the communications giant’s perspective on the issue.

Allen and I talked about Comcast’s role in bridging the digital access gap, data caps, and how Comcast works with local governments on programs like the Emergency Broadband Benefit and community-based Lift Zones, two initiatives that came up often in the conversation.

“Where we see our role in closing [the digital divide] is that we are one part of the solution,” said Allen.

This interview was a conversation about the many programs and investments where Comcast feels it plays its part.

Watch our conversation here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INlOhIyDapk]

Here’s the audio version:

 

Donte Kirby is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.