The theme of empowerment permeated the ?Job Creation and Education: Programmatic Efforts to Increase Broadband Adoption in African American Communities? panel held at the 2012 National Urban League Annual Conference.
?I say without hesitation today, that broadband is the great equalizer,? said Federal Communication Commission (?FCC?) Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who keynoted the panel.
Clyburn, along with Minority Media and Telecommunications Council President David Honig, Comcast Corporation?s Community Investment Vice President and Foundation President Charisse Lillie, National Urban League Research and Policy Director Madura Wijewardena, and AT&T Legislative Affairs Chief Cleo Washington, spoke of the myriad ways that broadband is transforming society and providing educational and economic empowerment for Black Americans.
The panelists also discussed how lack of access can hold communities back.
?It is imperative that we get everyone connected,? Clyburn said. ?Digital exclusion will further prevent our brothers and sisters, especially those in challenged communities, from truly participating in the very basic facets of today?s society.?
The panelists underscored that Internet was essential to living a meaningful life in the 21st century. Honig illustrated four main advantages of adopting broadband ? having greater access to healthcare (through tele-health technologies), education, job opportunities, and civic engagement.
A central topic among the panelists was how to harness national policy efforts to increase broadband adoption.
Clyburn said that affordability was a primary barrier to greater adoption, and spoke of the FCC?s recent action to reform its Universal Service Fund to subsidize broadband service for low income Americans.
?People should not have to choose between feeding their families and paying for the transformational benefits of broadband,? she said.
Read complete article at Politic 365
Source: http://www.brandnewz.com/?p=12705
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