Profiles of Latinos and Technology Issue 3
Profiles of Latinos and Technology: A Closer Look at Internet Access and Usage by Latinos Issue 3: Equitable Technology Access for Latino Students: The FCC E-Rate Program The FCC began modernizing the E-Rate program in July 2014 by issuing an E-Rate Modernization Order to expand Wi-Fi connections in schools and libraries while continuing broadband support services. The FCC issued a second order in December 2014 that, among other things, increased E-Rate program funding for the first time since 1997. The E-Rate program is critical to millions of Latinos and low-income communities that depend on schools and public libraries to access the Internet. Nearly half of Latino children live in households without home Internet. The E-Rate program is an important measure in the federal government’s ongoing effort to level the playing field and bridge the digital gap that persists in Hispanic, Black, and low-income communities.
