One recent afternoon I heard a thumping sound approach my home office door. The door creaked open and my daughter poked her head in.
 
“Dad?” she began. I knew from her tone that she was going to either ask for a snack or she'd had a random question pop into her head. “Why are school buses yellow?” It was the latter. She thinks I'm the smartest person in the world, so whenever that sponge of a brain of hers comes up with something that she can't suss out herself, I'm the go-to expert.
 
Because I’m used to having an answer for her, my mouth opened before my brain considered the question. It stuck there for a moment, ready to drive but without the knowledge-fuel to make it go. I closed my mouth into a scowl of consideration and furrowed my brow.
 
“I don't know,” I finally admitted. “Let's look it up.”
 
She climbed on to my lap. I clicked the cursor into my browser's search bar and, together, we pecked out the letters to the question: “Why are school buses yellow?” (“Don't forget the space. Good. Now hit the return button.”)
 
I have an inquisitive child and we have the advantage of living in a city that is hyper-covered with Internet service providers. If you're in Wilmington or the immediate surrounding area, you have no problem getting fast Internet access. That's why CloudWyze does not offer residential Internet service in Wilmington. It's also why we take for granted how easy it is to learn about nearly any subject with the click of a few keys.
 
Would you believe that in 2016 there are towns in North Carolina where people don't have Internet access at home? I've seen it firsthand, where a local McDonald's fills up most evenings simply because it's one of the few places in town with public Wi-Fi access. It's great for the chain's business, but not so great for kids living there, who like my daughter are inquisitive and want to learn all they can about the world around them.
 
At CloudWyze, we believe in the power of the Internet to help educate the next generation. Children living in areas underserved with Internet coverage are at a disadvantage compared to their Internet-enabled peers. Our goal is to expand Internet service to as many underserved areas as possible, adding our wireless and fiber network to existing providers' networks to help reach every inch that we can.
 
We're not afraid to say that you should support local ISPs like CloudWyze. AT&T, Charter and Time-Warner are solid companies, but CloudWyze is focused on improving quality and coverage, and we actively invest in the communities we serve. We are looking at a larger picture, trying to improve the region that has been so good to us to help give it an even better future.
 
School buses, by the way, are not actually yellow; they're yellow-orange. The color stands out more than other colors and can be seen better with peripheral vision and in dim conditions. I knew that, of course. I just couldn't think of it at the time.
 
Shaun Olsen is the CEO and president of CloudWyze. CloudWyze was created to help businesses focus and perform at their optimal level by crafting and executing custom technology plans for businesses of every type and size. To learn more about CloudWyze, visit www.CloudWyze.com. Shaun can be reached at [email protected] or (910) 795-1000.