HTTP is engaged in technology policy because we believe that full participation and opportunities for success in the economic, social and civic life of this country will soon become unattainable for Hispanics and others without high-speed access to the Internet. More than at any time in the history of the FCC, the policy decisions made by this Commission will have substantial impact on the ability of some of this country’s most marginalized communities to succeed. With this in mind, HTTP has closely followed the evolution of this NPRM as well as the FCC’s efforts to develop a National Broadband Plan. As we have written in previous filings, we believe strongly that the Commission’s stated goal to reach 100% broadband access
should be the FCC’s top priority.
HTTP Letter to the Federal Communications Commission In the Matter of Preserving the Open Internet (GN Docket No. 09-191)
January 14, 2010

In a letter that we filed with nineteen other civil rights organizations last October, we asked the FCC to analyze the impact that net neutrality regulations would have on closing the digital divide in minority and other unserved and underserved communities.1 Identifying whether policy – in this case regulation of network neutrality – would impact efforts to close the digital divide should be a key concern for the Commission as it strives to achieve the Administration’s goal of 100% broadband access. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the Commission to explore the impact of the proposed regulations on unserved and underserved communities.
In a separate filing also submitted today, we have raised specific issues within the NPRM that we believe demand methodical, granular examination before the Commission proceeds with this rulemaking.1 We respectfully ask you to see past the rhetoric that has surfaced in recent months and focus your attention on specific concerns that minority advocates have raised. Our overarching concern is that without thorough examination of these issues, the regulations could reduce broadband adoption for minorities, stifle efforts to bridge the digital divide and unintentionally perpetuate or widen the social and economic disparities that affect minorities. The communities that are currently most impacted by the digital divide – and therefore have the most at stake in this proceeding – will soon comprise the majority of the U.S. population. These communities’ chances for success will be tied to their ability to access and leverage online resources. For the Commission to move forward without a comprehensive examination of the impact of this proposal on unserved and underserved communities would be a grave error that would handicap the populations on whom the success of our society and economy will rest in the future.

As the nation’s largest minority group, Hispanics have made significant contributions to this country. At the moment, however, Hispanics are facing greater challenges than most other
populations. These include high unemployment rates, lower educational attainment levels, inferior health outcomes, and difficulties in gaining access to capital. Technology can help
Hispanics overcome these challenges, but unfortunately, with only 37% of Hispanics havinghome broadband access, we also trail other populations in Internet connectivity.2 Greater access to technology in our communities will only occur if policies are developed with careful consideration to the unique realities of unserved and underserved communities.

In the interest of closing the digital divide, federal broadband policy must promote ubiquitous adoption and allow for affordable high-speed connectivity to flourish. While HTTP fully
supports an open Internet, our primary responsibility is to the communities that we serve. We urge the Commission to carefully examine how regulation of open Internet practices would impact connectivity, affordability and access by communities that are currently not online.