Over 443,000 Children in Puerto Rico Lack Access to Broadband Internet

Current U.S. Census statistics report that Puerto has 431,712 families with children (AVG 1.77 children) do not have broadband at home. In the 2010 Connect Puerto Rico Residential Technology Assessment data indicated that over 250,608 households, or roughly 443,000 children (AVG 1.77 x 250K), do not have broadband service at home.

Broadband has the potential to become a critical key for opening doors to social inclusion and economic empowerment. The lack of this essential utility places households at a distinct disadvantage.

Our research estimates that of the approximately 17 million children nationwide who do not have broadband at home, 7.6 million are in low-income families. The majority of those disconnected low-income children are ethnic minorities — approximately 1.75 million African-Americans and 2.9 million Hispanic children. These children simply do not have the ability to do online research, complete assignments, or interact with their teachers and fellow students on-line at home.

Studies have shown that children without broadband access are less likely to graduate high school, and when those children enter the workforce, their employment potential is significantly diminished.

Help us continue to bring broadband to more homes and businesses in Puerto Rico by getting involved.  Follow Connected Nation and Connect Puerto Rico on Twitter.

Hispanics Need Broadband, But Digital Divide Persists, Says Former FCC Commissioner

Alec Dubro | Speed Matters Policy Analyst

Posted August 10, 2011

Henry M. Rivera, Strategic Counsel of the Internet Innovation Alliance, and former FCC Commissioner, told the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) that a persistent digital divide continues to hold Hispanics back from access to information technology and better jobs.

Speaking to the labor group meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the nation's first Hispanic FCC commissioner pointed out that "in 2010, NTIA reported that 52% of Hispanics and 52% of African Americans had yet to adopt broadband at home, compared with 32% of whites [without broadband]." Rivera also stressed that while the divide fell heavily on Hispanics, it was primarily a matter of economics. NTIA, he said, "found that 94% of households earning over $100,000 per year reported adopting broadband, compared to just 36% of households earning less than $25,000 per year."

Broadband, of course, brings growth and development to all, but special measures were needed to bring it to areas where it's currently weak.

Read more.

Obama Administration Releases Report, Highlights Rural Broadband Expansion

By Jeneba Ghatt | POLITIC365

Published August 21, 2011

The White House Rural Council released the report Jobs and Economic Security in Rural America which highlighted the fact that many rural communities “have lower incomes, higher poverty rates, worse health outcomes, and lower educational attainment than urban and suburban areas.” Highlighted was the expansion of broadband access to over “7 million rural Americans, including 3 million rural households and over 350,000 rural businesses” in the August 2011 report.

To combat the negative factors presented, the Council presented its findings and made specific suggestions on ways to address these issues.

Also, in a letter included in the report, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack noted that the report listed “vital strategies that can and will be used to seize those opportunities and tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our rural communities.”

Finally, it included a summary of some administration accomplishments already made that would enhance opportunities for rural Americans:

To read more click here.

Puerto Rican Businesses Use Broadband in Unique Ways

Puerto Rican businesses use technology in ways that make the territory stand out and highlight ways that the territory’s unique character has influenced its workforce. To better understand the impact that broadband has had on Puerto Rico’s business landscape, Connect Puerto Rico conducted a Business Technology Assessment of 814 Puerto Rico business establishments in 2010. Some of the findings are displayed below:

• Nearly seven out of ten (69%) Internet-connected businesses utilize online banking. This is the most-cited use of the Internet among businesses in Puerto Rico

• Many Puerto Rican businesses are new broadband adopters, as Puerto Rican businesses are significantly more likely than average to say they began using broadband less than a year ago

• Among small Puerto Rican businesses (those with fewer than five employees), businesses that sell goods or services online report that over one-third (36.3% on average) of their sales revenues come from online transactions

• In addition, broadband helps empower Puerto Rico’s workforce by enabling workers to telework. Across Puerto Rico, 13% of businesses (approximately 6,000) allow employees to telework. By comparison, 23% of businesses in states/territories served by Connected Nation allow their employees to telework.

Help us continue to bring broadband to more homes and businesses in Puerto Rico by getting involved. Follow Connected Nation and Connect Puerto Rico on Twitter.