MTA has been recognized by the FCC as an honoree of the inaugural Digital Opportunity Equity Recognition (DOER) Program for our efforts to close the digital divide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We couldn’t be more proud of this honor and want to give thanks to our employees who came together while apart by quickly mobilizing initiatives to ensure our communities remained connected – from public WiFi locations, free upgrades for educators and students, supporting local businesses and committing to not disconnect anyone financially affected by COVID-19.
On March 16th, MTA implemented remote work for as many employees as possible. The following day, we closed our retail locations and eliminated in-home services to protect our staff and member-owners.
Within two weeks, 90% of our workforce was successfully working remotely.
During this transition to telecommuting, our staff worked tirelessly to ensure that while our physical offices are temporarily closed, all of our member solutions remain available.
At the same time, our staff across departments collaborated to not only keep our communities connected, but to provide as much support and relief as possible. Here are a few ways that they made that happen:
- Signed and supported the “Keep America Connected” Pledge, which urges providers to waive late fees and not terminate service to any customers facing economic hardship due to COVID-19
- Partnered with the City of Wasilla, Palmer, Houston, and the Mat-Su Borough to install drive-in Wi-Fi hotspots so those without internet at home are able to connect, as well as an eLearning Enablement program that provided nearly 3,000 free upgrades to students and educators as they transitioned to distance learning
- Participated in local activities such as the “The Great American Takeout,” which supported local restaurants, and powered a local live-streamed fundraising concert
- Successfully ran MTA Gaming’s first all virtual esports tournaments that raised funds for both Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. and the Mat-Su Seniors Center, helping the latter continue delivering food to seniors through its Meals on Wheels program
The efforts of our staff during this time are inspiring and their commitment to the communities we serve is clear. Thank you to all of our employees!