Now is the time to close the Latino digital divide

A 2021 Pew Research study found that only 67% of Hispanic adults reported owning a computer and only 65% said they have internet service at home. (Pixel-Shot - stock.adobe.com)

In our country, we no longer light our homes with candles, nor do we draw water from common wells. But while electricity and access to clean drinking water are commonplace in the United States, another basic human right — the ability to fully participate in modern life via affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service — remains out of reach for many.

A Pew Research study from 2021 found that around 34% of lower-income households in America have trouble paying for home broadband service amid COVID-19. A BroadbandNow report from 2022 estimates that at least 42 million Americans lack access to broadband at all.