Connect Puerto Rico Program Overview and Business Survey Presented at the SME Digital Forum

Isla Verde, Puerto Rico - The 10th Annual SME Digital Forum was held this week and representatives from Connect Puerto Rico were there to provide an overview of the broadband initiative.

Raquel Noriega, director of public policy for the nonprofit broadband advocacy organization Connect Nation, provided the forum with insight into areas that included:

• The broadband landscape in Puerto Rico from a supply side/demand side perspective
• The broadband strategy for closing the digital divide in Puerto Rico
• A summary of the Puerto Rico Business Technology Assessment Survey

According to Noriega “91% of households on the island have access to basic broadband (768 kilobits per second), only 31% have adopted broadband”. The main local barriers to greater broadband adoption are relevance, affordability and digital skills”.

More information on this event will be included in future post.

Related link:

Use of cell phones to surf Internet surges in Puerto Rico, survey finds

Use of cell phones to surf Internet surges in Puerto Rico, study finds

By Jose Alvarado Vega | josea@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

The number of people in Puerto Rico who use a cell phone to access the Internet doubled in the last two years, making up almost half of all cell phone users on the island, according to a newly released Estudios Técnicos survey on digital and mobile behavior.

Some 44% of island residents who have a cell phone use it to surf the Web, according to the survey commissioned by the Sales & Marketing Association of Puerto Rico (SME). The figure is double the 22% reported in the first survey in which the question was posed in 2009.

To read more click here.

SME Puerto Rico Digital Forum

On Wednesday, May 25, the Sales and Marketing Association of Puerto Rico (SME) is convening one of Puerto Rico’s most highly anticipated technological events — the 2011 SME Digital Forum. This 10th forum will include the presentation of the 2011 SME Digital & Mobile Behavioral Study and the SME Digital Awards.

The 2011 SME Digital & Mobile Behavioral Study, based on a survey of 500 personal interviews conducted in the island, will yield valuable statistical information of consumer behavior in the use of digital and mobile media in Puerto Rico, the most-visited pages, social media, online shopping, online activities, functions utilized and purchased of mobile applications, among other information. The study, conducted by Estudios Técnicos, also includes types of online transactions made ​​by the consumer and the level of attention they receive by online promotions.

The SME Digital Awards recognize best practices in the integration of digital technology as part of a marketing, advertising, or public relations campaigns in Puerto Rico.

Additionally, Connect Puerto Rico’s Director of Public Policy Raquel Noriega will be there to present an overview on the Connect Puerto Rico initiative.

The SME Puerto Rico has expanded the forum’s educational program to include seminars on topics such as legal aspects of clouds, mobile & social media, digital marketing, and emerging trends.

Puerto Rico Addresses the Digital Divide

The First of 12 New Public Computing Centers Comes Online

By Wil Payton, Communications Specialist, Connected Nation

High-speed Internet connectivity is a modern lifeline to quality jobs, information, and vital services ranging from telemedicine to telelearning and technological modernization. However, the Connect Puerto Rico Residential Technology Assessment Survey findings indicate that only 31% of Puerto Rican households subscribe to home broadband service compared to 67% nationally.

In Puerto Rico, 55% of residents own a computer, which translates into over 1 million adults without a home computer. This is a reality that is being addressed through a $1 million of funding allocated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Board to establish public computing centers (PCCs) across the island. $250,000 of this funding will be dedicated to providing free Wi-Fi in public plazas.

The first PCC was recently opened in el Castillo Labadie. The center received $32,580 and was outfitted with 10 computers for use by community residents. Present at the inauguration of the PCC were Governor Luis Fortuno, Moca Mayor Jose Enrique Aviles, and Telecommunications Regulatory Board President Sandra Torres.

Current plans call for opening an additional 11 PCCs across Puerto Rico within the next three months.

Developing a sustainable broadband infrastructure is a pivotal factor in addressing the digital divide equation, but another critical component is whether businesses and individuals fully utilize the technology to grow and develop local economies.

A study by Connect Puerto Rico establishes a link between high-speed Internet use and a business’s bottom line. The Connect Puerto Rico Business Technology Assessment provides groundbreaking research derived from the survey of over 800 Puerto Rico business establishments.

The survey is the first of its kind and takes an in-depth look at all sectors of the territory’s economy. The new interactive application is available on the Connect Puerto Rico website and allows you to see the impact on specific sectors of the Commonwealth’s economy, from healthcare and manufacturing, to tourism and education.