By: Jason A. Llorenz, Esq.
December 19, 2011

The digital divide is as real today as it was when it was coined over a decade ago. The divide, as HTTP regularly underscores, includes both a lag in access to digital tools, and a dearth in the digital skills needed to compete in the evolving, global economy. We at the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) applaud the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), and providers like Time Warner Cable (TWC) for their support of Connect to Compete. The program will enable families with a child in the National School Lunch Program to have access to affordable broadband.

Providing low-cost connectivity is one of the most essential actions needed to encourage broadband adoption and spread access to the tools needed to increase digital literacy among the most economically hard-hit Americans.  As we know, the importance of the Internet in daily life is increasing. Getting and retaining a broadband connection at home is required for a promising future. Connect to Compete will help thousands of families conquer the digital divide, and make our country better equipped to compete in a technologically-intensive world. With continued support of programs like Connect to Compete, low income families that are underrepresented in today’s digital age will begin to realize the benefits of broadband in their lives.

Broadband is a key tool for empowering the Hispanic community, with adoption rates well below the national average. Not surprisingly, financial issues factor heavily in adoption rates. Connect to Compete’s targeting of low-income families, leaves us optimistic that the digital divide can be bridged and low-income Hispanics will become better connected to broadband technology, creating opportunities for Hispanic communities across the nation.

This rare collaboration of the public sector, cable providers, and industry groups working to ensure greater participation in a growing and increasingly important broadband movement is to be applauded.  Digital divide: your days are numbered.

Jason A. Llorenz, Esq. is Executive Director of The Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP). Twitter: @HISPANICTTP