54 BRAND STORY PRODUCED BY THE OREGON BUSINESS MARKETING DEPARTMENT Connecting Oregon’s Communities In addition to providing cloud and managed IT services, Beaverton’s Elevate Technology Group works to lessen the digital divide and support communities in times of need. BY AMY SOUZA Geoff Turner, founder and CEO of Elevate Technology Group in Beaverton, is dedicating his time and expertise to bridging Oregon’s digital divide and improving technical infrastructure in rural communities. “The internet has become so critical to how people work and live on a day-to-day basis,” says Turner. “Closing the digital divide gives underserved and socially vulnerable communities access to education, healthcare, and business similar to urban areas.” The high-speed connections that city dwellers take for granted aren’t always available in more remote areas. COVID pandemic shutdowns especially highlighted the importance of reliable internet; online schooling and telehealth appointments are impossible without it, for instance. And though government and nonprofit programs have worked to counter the digital divide for years—whether through subsidies for lower income families to cover phone and internet costs or infrastructure grants to expand broadband’s reach—rural communities across the country still face access disparities. “It is really eye-opening to see what people want to do once they have good connectivity,” says Turner. “They want to add security cameras, which they couldn’t do before because there wasn’t enough bandwidth. Or they want to add VoIP [internet] phones so they can work from Elevate built and owns a wireless tower at the top of 4,000-foot Deathball Rock that serves the McKenzie School District. Geoff Turner, founder and CEO of Elevate Technology Group
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