Jim Conran (president of Consumers First) and Tracy Stanhoff (president of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California) co-wrote an essay which appeared in the San Diego Business Journal about two events in that California city.

The essay, titled “Broadband Is Helping to Connect the Unconnected” pointed out that one event was the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show at the San Diego Convention Center.  Tens of thousands of people came town to see the latest in wireless devices and applications.

The other event was the Federal Communications Commission hearing held by FCC chairman Julius Genachowski on “whether there will be enough bandwidth to handle all those new apps” running on all those new devices.

Conran and Stanhoff recounted the history of cell phones:

“The earliest cell phones weighed about 10 pounds and were either mounted in a car or had to be carried with a shoulder strap.  And all they did was … make and receive phone calls.”

To the current state of the art devices which

“can do almost anything you can do sitting in front of a desktop computer — in a package that weighs just a few ounces.”

But the thrust of their essay was the adoption of wireless broadband by many in the minority, disadvantaged and Native American communities.   People who have no wired broadband available to their community can – and do – have access over the cellular system.

“Broadband over the cell system is a true American success story and is the key to connecting all Americans, regardless of whether they live in an urban city, suburb, rural America or an American Indian territory.”

As we move further into the era where broadband has gone from a luxury to a necessity, according to Conran and Stanhoff,

“Wireless broadband adoption is ahead of land-based broadband among many in minority communities, and thus has helped close the gap between those who are connected and those who are unconnected.”

To read the entire essay, click HERE.

-- The BfA Team