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Contreras: Light regulatory touch eases way for Hispanics to lead wireless charge

Posted: 07/23/10 by Advisor

The Pew Internet and American Life Project just released a survey that found that six out of 10 Americans rely on wireless technology a mobile phone or laptop to access the Internet. Among the particularly compelling findings: English-speaking Hispanics and African Americans are leading the way in mobile connectivity and using wireless as their on ramp to the Internet.

The survey determined that 87 percent of English-speaking Hispanics in the U.S. own a cell phone, compared with 80 percent of whites. And 53 percent of these Hispanics access the Internet from their mobile phones. Hispanics also lead in their use of mobile data applications, including: taking pictures, sending and receiving text messages, accessing the Internet, sending and receiving e-mail, watching videos and using social networking sites.

I am proud our community is leading the way in wireless usage and am excited to see how this adoption can help bolster the community as a whole — from entrepreneurial opportunities and improving health care to educational development and greater public safety.

In fact, the Pew study reinforces many of the findings from a 2009 in-depth report released by the Hispanic Institute and Mobile Future examining mobile broadband's impact on the Hispanic community.

The study, "Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future," illustrates how advancements in wireless broadband are democratizing educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Hispanics traditionally have lagged behind other groups in adopting broadband connections at home. But that's clearly not the case with wireless. While the Hispanic community is growing at a rapid pace, the wireless sector is evolving just as quickly. With opportunities and products emerging daily, consumers are able to select what's best for them from a vast selection of plans, applications and services.

But this didn't happen by accident. The wireless sector has grown tremendously in a short period of time because policy makers wisely set a light touch framework that put consumers in charge of the market and encouraged investment, innovation and growth. This led to increased research and development for cutting-edge wireless services and vibrant wireless networks connecting countless communities like ours that otherwise might have been left behind.

This year, the Federal Communications Commission released an ambitious National Broadband Plan to help ensure that no one ends up on the wrong side of the digital divide. The FCC set a terrific goal, but in order to meet its objectives, regulators must avoid imposing any rules that could deter the growth and innovation we see in wireless, including trying to regulate the Internet through so-called Net neutrality rules or attempting to micro-manage the highly competitive wireless sector.

By maintaining the current light-touch regulatory approach, wireless technology investors and innovators will continue to be spurred by robust market opportunities and healthy competition.

The result? A consumer-driven industry that is narrowing the gap by offering new cutting-edge products and services to millions of mobile subscribers.

Today's wireless sector is connecting American consumers in ways we never dreamed possible. But putting rules in place that could stifle this vibrant sector would be counterproductive, and in today's challenging economy, this is a gamble that neither Main Street nor Wall Street can afford to lose.

The article was orginially published in The Statesman.

Smartphones: The New Majority

Posted: 03/30/10 by Mobile Future Team

A new survey by the Nielsen Company shows the speed at which smartphones in America are moving from niche to the norm. Nielsen’s survey concludes that within the next 18 months, smartphones will overtake basic phones in the U.S. market. That compares with an estimated 24 percent of the phone market today.

Especially encouraging, according to the report, Hispanic Americans and Asians are slightly more likely to have a smartphone than would be expected based on their overall population in the U.S. (The ability of wireless to help close the Digital Divide is a favorite topic for us – see here and here.)

Mobile Revolution helps Hispanics

Posted: 10/14/09 by Molly Kocour

The Houston Chronicle recently printed an op-ed from Mobile Future Board Member Art Contreras.  The piece reviews Mobile Future's latest white paper on mobile broadband usage in the Hispanic community.  Art is a Texas native and Houston local who served in the Houston Police Department for 36 years and was U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas from 1998 to 2002.

"As a Hispanic-American, I am proud our community is leading the way in wireless adoption, and I'm excited to see how this adoption can be applied to bolster the community as a whole - from entrepreneurial opportunities and health care to education and law enforcement."

In addition sharing his thoughts on wireless usage in the Hispanic community, Art also discusses how wireless technology can assist public safety officials in keeping communities safe.  You can read Art's op-ed here.

Free wireless broadband comes to Houston

Posted: 02/29/08 by Hiram 'Art' Contreras

Thanks to Technology for All, 4,000 people in a low-income, inner city neighborhood in Houston have access to the internet in their homes for the first time. Whether the service was available is moot, because many residents of this neighborhood simply couldn’t afford the service. Thankfully, Technology for All in partnership with Rice University stepped in to build a state-of-the-art wireless Internet network that is free for residents of the Pecan Park neighborhood.

Based on the success of this program in this southeast Houston neighborhood, Technology for All plans to roll out additional wireless networks to 10 other communities throughout Houston. Ultimately 500,000 low-income residents will have access to free internet service.

Through a series of antennas, residents have access to internet service that can reach greater than 1 Mbps. The goal is to stimulate the economy in these areas, as well as to build a research test bed for Rice University students to use in writing their master thesis.

Check out the story on the local TV station’s web site to hear more about this new wireless network.

Not only can this wireless network create economic opportunities, but it can also help young students in these neighborhoods do better in school so that they can improve their economic opportunities later in life.

Having access to technology and the wealth of information available online will help these young students succeed in school. Inner city kids deserve to have the same opportunities that kids in affluent suburbs have.

Of course, the families need computers to even use the internet service and luckily Technology for All has “A Mouse in Every House” program that it runs in partnership with Habitat for Humanity to provide computers to low-income residents.

As a community, we must never lose sight of the fact that it is through the accessing of information and ultimately enhancing educational opportunity that is the key for our young people to reach their fullest potential.