A Digital Revolution In The Palm Of Your Hand

Published July 21, 2010 at 3:04 p.m.
Since Barack Obama began stumping for the White House, he has made closing the digital divide a priority by promising to provide broadband access for every American. And the president has been quietly putting plans in place to funnel $795 million toward the effort to increase access, particularly in rural and urban communities. But is broadband the only way to tackle digital inequality?

Mobile phones are becoming more and more important in the digital debate, particularly in light of the emerging research from the Pew Research Center...The report, Mobile Access 2010, revealed this underexplored conclusion:

..."African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos continue to be among the most active users of the mobile web. Cell phone ownership is higher among African-Americans and Latinos than among whites (87% vs. 80%) and minority cell phone owners take advantage of a much greater range of their phones’ features compared with white mobile phone users. In total, 64% of African-Americans access the internet from a laptop or mobile phone, a seven-point increase from the 57% who did so at a similar point in 2009."

Could mobile use be a gateway for people of color to harness more of the broader digital world? Both activists and advertisers believe so. [...]


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