Indications are that technology policy is going to be a high priority for the Obama administration. Obama was the first presidential candidate in history to release a detailed technology policy agenda. His campaign was well-served by tech-savvy staffers who understood how the Internet could be used to mobilize voters.

One of the first appointments to the presidential transition team was former FCC chief counsel Julius Genachowski, who is leading the search for the nation’s Chief Technology Officer. The CTO will manage one of the administration’s most important efforts — to modernize and streamline the government’s use of information technology and the Internet. According to the Obama website, the role of the CTO will be to “ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, polices, and services for the 21st century.”

For a tech-savvy citizenry, greater online access to government services, information and resources is a welcome and overdue development that will bring transparency to the workings of government. Notably, the incoming administration recognizes that without a corresponding focus on broadband deployment, not all communities will be positioned to take advantage of these developments. Data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project show that only 29% of Hispanic adults have broadband Internet access at home. If Hispanics and other digitally-underserved populations continue to face present-day barriers to high-speed Internet access, the modernization of government services would further disenfranchised communities from their government. In some cases, it is these very communities that most need access to the resources that the administration hopes to centralize online.

Because of this, the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunication Partnership will continue to advocate for policies that will enable all communities to have high-speed Internet access. Our coalition members know first-hand that high-speed Internet access helps our children succeed in school, allows small businesses to reach new marketplaces, supports community development and advocacy efforts, helps families connect affordably across borders, and provides access to essential social and commercial services. As government resources become more accessible online, broadband is going to become even more important to our communities. In order to ensure that our most vulnerable communities do not fall further behind, we must work with the administration to ensure that increased access to broadband remains a priority issue.