{mosads}The group notes that the significant racial disparities in wealth contribute to low broadband adoption rates for minorities, and argues the data clearly supports the need for greater emphasis on low-cost home access and campaigns to demonstrate the relevance of broadband access for low-income families.

The filing urges the FCC to embrace mobile technology as part of USF reform, calling mobile “the future of broadband.”

“As the Commission seeks to reform the deployment efforts of the high-cost USF program, it should focus resources on insular areas without broadband access to extend mobile service via wireline backbone where possible.”

Wireless firms have expressed concern that the FCC’s proposal will favor
incumbent wireline phone providers over wireless and other alternative
technologies, despite the rapid growth in mobile broadband use in recent
years.

Minorities are also significantly more likely than whites to
rely on a mobile device as their primary connection to the Internet.