Opportunity – it’s what is on everyone’s mind in Colorado when talking about jobs, growing our economy, and creating the best environment for our businesses and families.
With over 2,300 members, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver’s mission is to promote and advance the growth of Hispanic Business. Our mission allows us to create the best opportunities for local businesses to grow, for our youth to receive a quality education, and for our families to thrive. And in today’s world of technology, all of these hinge on a critical component – access to high-speed Internet for everyone.
To date, the government’s hands-off approach to the Internet has served our communities well. High-speed Internet, also known as broadband, provides opportunities for Colorado businesses to expand and compete globally and reach more customers. Broadband ensures our children have access to educational resources around the world. Broadband deployment is especially critical to create opportunities in the underserved, rural and minority communities where many of our families live and work.
As leaders in the Hispanic and business community, we recognize the role that billions of dollars in private investments have played in creating nearly 98 percent broadband access in Colorado. Less than three percent of all households in our mountainous state are without a direct connection to the Internet.
Even with such widespread access, there is more work to be done. While Latinos are the highest adopters of broadband according to a Pew Research Institute study, just 68 percent of English-speaking Latinos have broadband at home.
We believe that President Obama’s vision of a connected nation can bring more households online and support a National Broadband Plan to close the digital divide. How we accomplish these goals has been the focus of fierce debate lately. From our perspective, we believe an environment that encourages investment in broadband access will be the best way to deliver access to everyone in the U.S. Policies that deter investment in broadband infrastructure will obviously take us in the wrong direction.
Given this, we have concerns with any FCC plans to impose additional regulations on the Internet that would slow down investment. The current system is working to deliver life-changing benefits to our communities and we’ll need additional investment to deliver broadband’s potential to those who are not yet online.
High-speed broadband access is our community’s ticket to a bright future. Our students depend on it. Our businesses are built upon it. And our connection with the larger community is made possible through technology.
Thirty-three percent of Coloradoans are Latino and our ability to make a substantial and positive impact here depends on access to technology. We respectfully encourage to FCC consider the consequences of over-regulating the Internet at a time when their hands-off approach has been so successful in expanding access and delivering opportunity.
Jeff Campos is president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Denver. EDITOR’s NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
