Education and Entertainment Seen as Essential to Minority Broadband Adoption

In order to provide universal broadband, national policymakers will need to better understand and motivate under-indexed minority groups. That was the message at the Internet Innovation Alliance's 'Universal Broadband: Access for All Americans' conference on Thursday. "It's a question of knowledge and accessibility just as much as it is affordability," said Cornell Belcher, pollster and President of Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies. A study conducted by Brilliant Corners showed that among non-adopting blacks and Hispanics, 14 percent did not know how to use the Internet and 32 percent saw no need. Interestingly, many of these same respondents said that they would be interested in increasing use of the Internet if classes were provided. Digital literacy classes may not be the only way to get under-indexed groups online, providers and policymakers can appeal to their interests.