With all the mobile apps and resources available for games, entertainment and media, have you ever thought about the impact that mobile apps could have on your health? Introducing mHealth, the term used to describe the use of your mobile phone for health. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released a report entitled “Minorities, Mobile Broadband, and the Management of Chronic Diseases,” which evaluates the vast potential of mobile broadband technologies to help address our nation’s most pressing health concerns.

Currently, chronic diseases disproportionately affect minority communities. These diseases include diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and obesity to name a few. The CDC reports that each year 7 out of 10 Americans die from illnesses related to chronic disease. Heart disease, cancer, and stroke account for more than 50% of all deaths in the US. In 2007, $2.2 trillion was spent on healthcare in the US, with $1.7 trillion spent to prevent and treat chronic illnesses. Eventhough chronic diseases affect minority communities disproportionately, many individuals lack the ability to effectively treat and monitor their health due to geographic, financial, cultural and linguistic barriers. Considering these facts, mHealth is our answer to breaking down these barriers.

Read more at Politic365.

The Federal Communications Commission hereby announces, consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the members of the re-chartered Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age (“Diversity Committee”). See the attached list.

The Diversity Committee is a critical component of the Commission’s diversity agenda. Chairman Genachowski re-chartered the Committee in December 2012 to extend the terms of the current members and to ensure that they have adequate time to continue their important work. The Committee’s expert insight has informed Commission policy on vital issues like capital access, broadband infrastructure and adoption, the importance of data driven action on diversity, nondiscrimination in advertising, and many others.

The Committee’s mission is to advise the Commission regarding policies and practices that will enhance diversity in the telecommunications and related industries. In particular, the Committee focuses on lowering barriers to entry for historically disadvantaged men and women and creating an environment that enables employment of a diverse workforce within the telecommunications and related industries. This Committee will continue to work on (1) unlicensed spectrum opportunities for diverse communities and entrepreneurs; (2) how exemplary EEO practices by telecommunications industry participants can contribute to the FCC’s goal of viewpoint diversity; (3) how exemplary supplier diversity practices by industry participants can contribute to the FCC’s goal of ownership diversity, and (4) reviewing past diversity initiatives that have positively impacted ownership diversity and determining how these initiatives can be incorporated in the Commission’s current diversity agenda.

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Vice President and MTI Director Dr. John Horrigan was selected for this committee.

To read the entire press release, visit the FCC.

Six new members have signed on to the inSPIRE STEM USA Coalition, including Dell Inc. and General Electric Co.

The group, also known as the Supporting Productive Immigration Reform and Education coalition, is urging new immigration and education policies that would result in more workers with expertise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. InSPIRE STEM is chaired by former Sen. John E. Sununu of New Hampshire and Maria Cardona, a former adviser to the presidential campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In addition to Dell and GE, the Afterschool Alliance, Code.org, the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies have joined the fold of 36 members.

“The reason groups representing education, business and advocacy communities have come together is that they recognize America must improve its record in producing students trained in STEM and computer science fields,” coalition Executive Director Beneva Schulte said.

Read more at Roll Call.

Research shows that African Americans are newer to the Internet than many other population segments, but also more active in using mobile technology to access the Internet. This means that African Americans rely on search engines to help them find information they need online -- and they know that the Internet is often the only place to find key information on jobs, health care, and other topics. Policymakers must, therefore, cultivate an environment where search results are trusted and reliable -- while ensuring that the companies that provide search services can continue to innovate in a rapidly evolving online ecosystem.

As the Federal Trade Commission examines practices of companies providing search services, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is ready to work with all stakeholders to ensure that search engines serves the needs of consumers -- in an environment that supports innovation.
 

Download the press release by clicking the icon below.

The Joint Center and Comcast Corporation held a Technology Policy Forum entitled Broadband, the Economy, and Driving Adoption on September 24, 2012.

In recent years, there have been two developments in technology adoption that are in tension with one another. On the one hand, home broadband adoption has increased only modestly since 2009. On the other, there has been a very rapid increase the adoption of Smartphones. This development presents questions for policymakers and stakeholders interested in the digital divide, namely: Does the leveling off of home broadband adoption and accompanying growth in Smartphone adoption represent a substitution effect? That is, are those without broadband at home simply turning to Smartphones instead and, if so, how does their Internet use relate to that of broadband users? Understanding the answers to these questions will be important to policymakers and those in the private sector interested in closing technology access gaps. To address the questions, this paper will rely on data drawn from a statewide telephone survey of Illinois residents fielded in February-March of 2012. The survey explored in detail how people get online (e.g., home broadband, tablets, Smartphones), what online activities they do (e.g., information searches, shopping, educational uses), and how they view the usefulness of different access means for carrying out tasks online.

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.

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.

Michael Copps’ decade of service as a member of the Federal Communications Commission will forever be remembered as a time when average Americans had a real voice in the regulation of one of the country’s most powerful industries.  Through it all, whether he was looking at new media or old media, Commissioner Copps consistently raised his own voice and dedicated his good offices to the proposition that the people come first and that technological advancements in communication should, above all else, advance opportunities for everyone to be heard in the public square.