Does anyone remember when the Obama administration promised to bring “true broadband [to] every community in America”? The Republican Party definitely does, and its 2012 platform criticizes the president for not making any progress on this pledge:

“The current Administration has been frozen in the past…. It inherited from the previous Republican Administration 95 percent coverage of the nation with broadband. It will leave office with no progress toward the goal of universal coverage—after spending $7.2 billion more. That hurts rural America, where farmers, ranchers, and small business manufacturers need connectivity to expand their customer base and operate in real time with the world’s producers.

So whatever happened to the Obama administration’s plan to expand broadband access, anyway? In one sense, the Republican critics are right. Universal broadband is still far from a reality. According to the Federal Communications Commission’s annual broadband report, released in August, there are still 19 million Americans who lack access to wired broadband. Only about 94 percent of households have broadband access. Obama hasn’t achieved his goal.

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“Getting to 100 percent is going to be a very difficult long-term goal, given the size of the U.S. landmass and the huge expense to reach those final couple of percentage points,” says John Horrigan of the Joint Center Media and Technology Institute. The same goes for increasing the adoption rate. “We’re not going to close that gap in five years.” Anyone hoping for universal broadband access in the near future might end up disappointed. But shorter-term upgrades are possible—and, indeed, appear to be happening.

Read more at The Washington Post.

Given the potential of mobile broadband to play an outsized role in reducing the burden of chronic disease in communities of color, policymakers and healthcare institutions should seek to facilitate its use among minorities, according to a report released today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.  

The report, “Minorities, Mobile Broadband and the Management of Chronic Diseases,” is part of a long-term research effort by the Joint Center Health Policy and Media and Technology Institutes aimed at improving the health and well-being of people of color, particularly by addressing the geographic, financial, cultural and linguistic barriers to quality health care and to specialty treatment.

The report can be found here.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is pleased to share an important new report, Minorities, Mobile Broadband, and the Management of Chronic Diseases, prepared by the Joint Center Media and Technology Institute and the Health Policy Institute with support from the UnitedHealth Group Foundation. This report considers the vast potential of mobile broadband technologies to help address some of the nation’s most pressing health concerns, and therefore is relevant and timely for policymakers’ consideration as the federal government implements the Affordable Care Act.

It’s time to recognize the talent pool we have right here in America, putting an end to minority statistics that may soon be more fairytale than truth. Especially in Florida where the Hispanic population is outperforming other states in college degree attainment levels.

Florida’s business schools, particularly Miami-Dade College, are being recognized nationally for their cutting-edge programs and for graduating among the highest numbers of Hispanics. Not only are these Hispanics brushing up on their business skills, but, according to recent studies by Florida State University’s Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication, they are proving to be digital innovators and significantly expanding their online presence. Compared to other groups, Hispanics were the most likely to own and manage their own online businesses, blogs and websites.

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Broadband-enabled technologies have changed how businesses operate and thrive. It’s the innovators and skilled users of these technologies that bring opportunity for innovation and job creation across a range of industries. Though some statistics show that Hispanics are behind in education and technology adoption, many others are proving that they are in fact poised to become prominent figures in America’s digital business future, including the wireless industry.

While minorities are undoubtedly making big gains in broadband adoption, there are still many without online connections. According to a study by The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, there are many barriers at play, including financial, educational, and linguistic hurdles. Yet when socioeconomic factors are similar, studies show that Hispanics and non- Hispanic whites end up having similar usage patterns for broadband-enabled technologies.


Read more at the Miami Herald.

The Federal Communications Commission held a nearly three hour-long public hearing at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to discuss recent findings on the needs of local coverage in journalism.

The hearing consisted of three panels of media experts that focused on different topics: broadband access, broadcasting rights and new digital media.  The topics related to the recent FCC report, “The Information Needs of Communities: The changing media landscape in a broadband age.”

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Nicol Turner-Lee, vice president and director at the Media and Technology Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, addressed the needs of impoverished citizens.

“More than 40 percent of African Americans are going to smart phones but news consumption is severely limited,” Turner-Lee said.

Read more at Arizona State University's State Press.

Investigative journalism is on life support, real news is increasingly replaced with fluff and democracy is suffering because of it, a Federal Communications Commission member said Monday.

“Hundreds of newsrooms have been shuttered, thousands of reporters walk the streets in search of a job rather than walk the beat in search of a story,” Michael Copps said at a public hearing on the FCC’s report on media in the digital age.

His comments preceded three panels discussing the report’s recommendations at a session hosted by Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

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Nicol Turner-Lee, vice president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and director of its Media and Technology Institute, said the lack of universal access to broadband is leaving behind millions in under-served groups, particularly residents of rural areas, African-Americans and those with less than a high school education.

“That’s a problem if we are migrating our media to online,” she said.

This article was previously available at MSNBC.

As part of its effort to promote the expansion of broadband services to all Americans, Time Warner Cable has pledged to carry $1 million worth of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for the Broadband Opportunity Coalition (BBOC). The PSA series emphasizes the importance of broadband Internet adoption for economic success in the 21st Century economy, particularly for struggling communities.

Time Warner Cable will carry the PSAs in English, Spanish and five other languages during a two-year period beginning in 2012.

Read more at benzinga.com.

This article was previousuly available at MarketWatch and streetinsider.com.

Philadelphia city officials estimate 41 percent of residents cannot afford computers or to pay for Internet access. But Mayor Michael Nutter plans to change that.

Philadelphia plans to set up 48 computer centers - like the one at the People’s Emergency Center - in other shelters, recreation centers and libraries.

It will also distribute more than 5,000 laptops to low-income families and create public wifi spots for free wireless Internet access. The project will bring the city closer to digital equality. That's an important goal, according to Nicol Turner Lee, director of the Media and Technology Institute for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

“What started out as a digital divide, where at that time we were dealing with public access to computers and the Internet, has turned into a movement to advance digital inclusion and digital equality," says Lee, "that allows citizens to really realize the full benefit of how this tool and platform can improve the quality of their life.”

Read more and listen to a report at Voice of America and Daily News Corner.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies invites you to a Technology Policy Forum sponsored by its Media and Technology Institute on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, on  “The New Digital Profile: Managing Privacy in an Evolving, Mobile Internet.”

The role that privacy plays in broadband adoption and social media has emerged as a key policy issue.  With more new adopters, particularly people of color, seniors and low-income populations going online, the management of their digital profiles becomes a priority.  How will current and emerging public policies protect the interests of these more vulnerable consumers? And, how can we ensure that privacy concerns will not present a barrier to broadband adoption among these groups?  Please join a panel of policy, industry and government experts to address these questions, and share pending legislation.  Lunch will be served.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Program Director, Anne Neville, offered the keynote address Tuesday morning at the Broadband Breakfast Club’s June event, ”The National Broadband Map: Policy, Consumer and Economic Development Implications.” Highlights of the program included discussion of research institutions' usage and sharing of the data. Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee of the Joint Center's Media and Technology Institute discussed how her organization uses the data in its research.

Video of the event can be found at BroadbandBreakfast.com.