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.

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