Pandemic 5 years on. RantWoman is not exactly nostalgic for the onset of the #Covid19 #pandemic. Besides, with cratering stock market, out of control President and tech bro zillionaires, as well as measles, monkeypox and bird flu all knocking at the door of, charitably, a brainworm afflicted Secretary of Health and Human Services, the current world environment feels just as unsettled if not more so.
That said RantWoman wants to offer appreciation for one weekly breath of technological, policy, and business insight that really helped RantWoman stay sane: Broadband breakfast.
Broadband Breakfast Live online is a series of weekly one-hour zoom sessions featuring clumps of people from across the telecommunications sector. Each show featured several speakers with varied perspectives on a common topic: local dimensions of broadband deployment, fixed wire vs wireless, urban vs rural considerations, middle mile telecom markets, household budgets, the affordable Connectivity Program, federal budgets and federal regulations just to name a few topics.
All of the presenters were knowledgeable and respectful of each other's perspectives, as well as respectful of questions such as RantWoman who rather frequently asked some question about how are the needs of people with disabilities addressed.
RantWoman has learned a great deal from all these sessions. RantWoman has also forwarded links to others and has heard appreciation for that.
Well done Broadband Breakfast: Better Broadband, Better Lives.
For more information and to help celebrate Five years of Broadband Breakfast Live Online please see
Broadband Breakfast on March 12, 2025 - 5 Years On: Where Is Broadband Now?
RantWoman unfortunately has to miss the live event because of a medical appointment that cannot happen by telemedicine but will definitely keep following.
Other #pandemic survival lifesavers spawned by internet access and the proliferation of accessibility measures
The American Council of the Blind Community calls. RantWoman does not remember exactly how many calls happened per week or per month in the early days of the pandemic. Now though, there are dozens of facilitated calls, some weekly, some monthly, initially on Zoom and also now edited for podcasts. The Community calls series offer vital community connection, religious, mental health, guide dog care, and daily living as wellas technical training for facilitators and attenders alike.
Telemedicine: RantWoman at one point had a recurrence of a skin infection. Previously the infection had been easily treated with antibiotic. RantWoman was able to photograph the affected area with her phone, upload it to her medical record and get the needed prescription without needing to venture out.
Not so great:
All the parents with disabilities struggling to work with inaccessible online learning platforms.
All the kids suffering through the isolation of trying to do school online.
Blog tips for #pandemic commentary: RantWoman seeds her pandemic related posts with the #Pandemi hashtag and somethings with #COVID or #COVID19
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