Statistics show around 90-95% of the Hispanics younger than 50 years had access to the internet in 2016. However, less than 70% of the total Latinos have access to the internet according to the stats shared by CBS. Compared to this, more than 80% of the white population has access to the internet.
This digital divide has hindered the progress of Latinos significantly in terms of technology use and access. In addition, several reports indicating Hispanics’ access to the internet have been termed inaccurate due to a dilemma in the characterization of ‘internet access.’
The American Community Data (ACS) identifies internet access as any means that allows one to connect to the internet, not necessarily broadband. This includes public Wi-Fi hotspots, mobile data, etc.
However, research such as the Pew Research Center differentiates between broadband connectivity and other connection methods. From Pew’s perspective, less than 70% of Latinos have access to broadband internet in the US compared to more than 80% of the white population.
Latinos’ Reliance on Mobile Internet
In today’s world, where innovation depends on technology, not having access to internet services is like living in the Stone Age. However, this is somewhat still true for the Latino community in the US.
According to the research data from the Pew Research Center, Latinos depend upon mobile data connectivity for internet access. This affects their access in several ways. Firstly, mobile data is limited, and sharing it via mobile hotspots can exhaust the data quickly.
In addition, hotspots don’t have dependable speed, and connecting too many devices can eat whatever’s left of it. In other words, not having access to broadband internet is an issue and Latinos certainly are impacted by it the most.
Efforts of Internet Companies In Mitigating Digital Gap
US internet providers are taking several measures to minimize this digital gap and provide Latinos with internet solutions to cater to their needs.
Multilingual Customer Service
One of the important steps taken by internet providers is offering multilingual customer services. This enables the Latinos to engage with the support representatives in their native language. For instance, if a Spanish-speaking resident wants internet services from Spectrum, they can contact the provider through Spectrum servicio al cliente.
This makes it easier for the customers to communicate their requirements better and get the right internet plan. Moreover, the representative can also engage with the customer effectively, providing the details of the plan according to their needs.
Latino Centric Plans
Several internet providers offer Latino-centric plans. These plans are not only available at amazing rates, but they also provide exclusive content to the customers.
For instance, Spectrum offers Latino View, a TV channel selection where customers can get over 70 Spanish channels. Xfinity provides Now TV Latino with 25 Spanish channels.
With additional plans and discounted prices, Latino customers can get access to relevant content without having to compromise on entertainment.
Building Career Pathways
In addition to offering services and plans related to the community, internet companies are partnering with Hispanic regulators to accelerate career pathways. Comcast has invested $2.5 million in a partnership with the Hispanic Federation to provide digital skills to Latino students.
With this investment, the Hispanic Federation expects to provide skill development chances to nearly 10000 students. These digital equity centers have enabled more than 5000 students to acquire digital skills and above 2000 to get a job upgrade.
As per their research, AT&T revealed that more than 30% of the Latinos reported poor or no internet connectivity as the primary reason for hurdles faced in distance learning. They also revealed that less than 30% of the Hispanics reported using the internet via smartphone only.
In order to cope with the situation and minimize the digital gap, AT&T committed $2 billion for 3 years (2021-2024) to develop skill-based teaching centers known as Connected Learning Centers. The efforts are focused on helping the Hispanic community in terms of digital development.
Summary
Technology plays a key role in the development and progress of society and its communities. Therefore, several steps should be taken to encourage digital empowerment for Latinos. The abovementioned endeavors are worth the applause and should lead the pathway for the digitization of Hispanics.