On Thursday morning, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted on a new Open Internet policy, grounded by strong federal authority that treats Internet service providers similarly to utilities. Adoption of the new rules -- which prevent ISPs from blocking or slowing any lawful Internet traffic or charging companies like Netflix for faster delivery -- is considered a victory for Net Neutrality advocates.
Often the Digital Divide -- the gulf between those online and those who don't or can't access the Internet -- is described as one of the challenges affecting Latinos in the U.S. But everyone knows that demographic terms are broad and inexact, and that's especially true with the word "Latino," which is a catchall word for the most diverse and quickly-growing demographic in the U.S.
In a February 24th opinion piece, Jose Marquez, the President and CEO of Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA), opined that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler's proposed Open Internet rules that would prevent blocking, throttling, and paid fast lanes online would, inexplicably, harm Latinos. The FCC is set to vote on these rules on February 26th.
This week FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced plans to increase funding for E-Rate, a federal program that helps connect schools and libraries in neighborhoods in need to the Internet.
Well, it may not reach the level of "charm," but Comcast is certainly trying to improve the generally offensive reputation it has built over the years, just as the federal government is reviewing its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable.
The FCC Net Neutrality debate has caused division between minority and Latino advocacy organizations, sparking a war of words between two, in particular.
New York City comptroller Scott Stringer told the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) Monday that in order for a Comcast-Time Warner merger to go through, the state requires a promise of better Internet service.
Earlier this week, a large coalition of internet companies released an open letter to the Federal Communications Commission warning that its purported new Open Internet rules, ostensibly meant to protect net neutrality, actually "represents a grave threat to the Internet." Now a large coalition of interest groups, including some prominent Latino organizations, has done the same.
Pulpo Media, a digital Hispanic marketing agency, has announced a new data-driven platform to help companies better reach important segments of the Latino market. The platform, built on U.S. Census data and "terabytes" of proprietary data, is designed to help identify segments of the Latino population that conventional marketers might be missing.
The Federal Communications Commission will release a proposal soon to reinstate its Open Internet rules in a new form, after a federal court struck down the current incarnation of the FCC's net neutrality-friendly rules. But the new rules may not not enshrine certain net neutrality principals, leading tech watchers and advocacy groups, including the National Hispanic Media Coalition, to preemptively condemn the changes.
Cable giant Comcast has put forth a long, complicated argument in favor of its acquisition of cable giant Time Warner Cable. In part three of this series "Comcast's Competitors?" we'll look at Comcast's argument for expanding its efforts at bridging the digital divide - the nationwide problem of internet access and affordability for low-income families - to TWC's territory.
Comcast filed its bid for buying Time Warner Cable with the Federal Communications Commission this week, and outlined its arguments in a blog post as well. In part two of a long, hard look at Comcast's arguments, let's discuss the rivals the largest cable operator in the U.S. sees in wireless telecoms.
Latinos aren't signing up for the Affordable Care Act's healthcare marketplaces in droves, as President Obama's administration expected. Now a Hispanic market research firm in California says it has the reason why: the marketing was all wrong.
Cable giant Comcast is extending its program to give low-income households cheap broadband internet access, as part of a public relations campaign leading up to the possible merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable.
