Culture Wireless is a Black-owned internet service provider that aims to empower the community through easy and affordable access to the web. Al Adjahoe is the CEO, Jerome Howard is the COO, and William Sparks is the CMO of the company. The three men spoke with rolling out about why they wanted to create this business, the importance of technology in the community, and what separates them from other service providers.
What is Culture Wireless?
Al Adjahoe: Culture Wireless is an internet service provider similar to Comcast or AT&T and those types of things that actually deliver internet to the home. Three of us built it about a year and a half ago, and we are focused on underserved communities and closing the digital divide. The company is right now getting ready to launch its first pilot in the Vine City area of Atlanta.
What was the impetus for creating this business?
William Sparks: During COVID, we saw that a lot of the kids in our community didn’t have access to internet nor devices, so we figured what a better time [than] now to start and implement certain things in our community.
What role does technology play in the community?
Jerome Howard: Technology is at the forefront of everything. If you think about the future, if you’re not building a space, or carving out your own space and technology, then you’re going to be stuck behind. So knowing that and knowing the power that we had, and knowing what our community lacks, we had to go ahead and solve that need. We know our community and our needs, so who else better to solve that digital provide or what’s needed for our community then ourselves?
What separates Culture Wireless from other service providers?
AA: Number one, we’re from the community. We understand that … it’s important for us to close this digital divide. Our kids and adults are falling behind, and these opportunities are passing us by because of a simple [lack of] connectivity to the world. The second piece of this puzzle is is that as far as a company is concerned, we’re equally as concerned about internet access, so having access and then being able to utilize it. We feel like that there’s more to this puzzle than just being able to access the internet. You need to know how to use it, you need to know how to use it to your advantage, and providing a step program that says, “Hey, how do we lift the entire community up by adding on additional programs and skills that we get there?” The third piece of this puzzle is that from a community standpoint, we feel like the internet was really more like a utility, and it needs to be distributed as such like water or power. We’re also investing in partnering with organizations that are going to help train, to get to the people that we need to be able to build this and maintain this infrastructure.
