Aug 25, 2020
Many families have been juggling working from home while making sure their kids are on track with virtual learning. Meanwhile, healthcare providers and patients have been relying more on telemedicine. Not only is this shift in the world of work, education and healthcare a result of Covid-19, it’s sure to be more of the norm in years to come.
Join host Neal Bloom as he talks with Sam Attisha and Duane Cameron, who are part of the Cox Communications & Cox Business executive team in San Diego, about how Cox is working to drive innovative technologies for the current and future world of work, medicine and education as we all continue to shift into a virtual world.
Sam and Duane also take a deep dive on how Cox continues to foster the region’s vibrant tech and startup ecosystem.
4:19: Sam discusses the history of Cox, which was founded in 1898 by school teacher James Cox, who was involved in the newspaper business. Today, the business continues to be family-owned and has been operating in San Diego since 1962. Cox has a long history of giving back to the communities it serves; these past several months, Cox has donated $10 million of cash and in-kind donations in California alone.
9:45: Duane elaborates on Cox’s involvement with the San Diego tech ecosystem. Cox has been a sponsor of Top Tech Awards; the company also sponsors Quick Pitch, a local startup pitch competition. Cox has also invested in the K-12 space with its “Cox Connect2Compete ” initiative, which has helped bridge the digital divide. Through this initiative, Cox has helped half a million students and families connect to broadband internet.
11:39: Sam talks through how Covid-19 has affected Cox employees. About half of its employees initially worked from home and the other half were working at retail locations, technical facilities, etc. Over the last few months, the company switched to AR (augmented reality), where technicians can communicate with customers on a live app to provide them with services while alleviating in-person interaction. Cox was quick to help its customers as well by offering two months of free internet connection to ensure all children were able to finish out the school year. Due to the pandemic, in March, the company debuted the Cox Business Work at Home Solutions program, which includes an enterprise-grade, separate Internet connection direct to employees’ homes.
19:22: With all these changes being implemented, Sam discusses whether or not their roadmap has altered and if it has affected the way Cox is investing. The company has built a reputable, billion-dollar network over the years, and continues to invest in the network by creating additional capacity for businesses and residential customers alike. One thing they see in the longer term is telelife, with the fundamental key to this effectively delivering a powerful broadband network, which they view as an economic leveler.
23:47: Sam and Duanedive into areas Cox is investing in, one of which is telemedicine. CEO Alex Taylor prides the company on giving back to the community and investing money into areas like cleantech, electric vehicles, and leveraging solar plants. Lastly, the company values sustainability, aiming to be zero waste and carbon and water neutral in the coming years.
Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.
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