PHILADELPHIA - September 16th, 2022 - National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, Director of Operations, Joel Berrocal joined a group of Philadelphia Latino Community Leaders at Taller Puertorriqueño for a roundtable discussion with US Senator to Pennsylvania, Bob Casey to discuss infrastructure and workforce development Initiatives as it relates to the Latino Community in Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.
The roundtable included representatives from The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Unidos US, HACE, APM, and Providence Center, among others. Senator Casey and his team discussed their work on The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and their prioritization of investment in underserved communities for things like broadband access and adoption priorities.
The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce has been vocal in Washington, DC, and across our local markets such as Philadelphia on this issue and the importance of getting more households and businesses connected. Connectivity is central to participating in and benefiting from today’s digital economy. During the roundtable, we were able to discuss our advocacy priorities which include:
Focus on unserved areas first.
According to 2021 data from the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, 14.5 million people still have no access to high-speed broadband, most of which are in rural areas.
We support prioritizing federal funding to support broadband buildout into unserved and rural areas first. Many small businesses reside in areas that lack access to high-speed internet, which limits their ability to grow and scale.
Prioritize adoption.
There are more people with broadband access that choose not to adopt it than there are people without broadband access altogether.
Helping communities understand the benefits that come with getting online (AKA: digital adoption / see below) and supporting businesses as they seek to leverage digital technologies to grow and scale their businesses is central to our Chamber’s work.
*Digital Adoption
As communities get connected, continued investment by way of digital adoption will be more critical than ever.
In addition to directing federal funds towards getting broadband networks to those who do not have any access – equally important is the task of ensuring that communities with newly acquired access (or existing access) take the critical step of subscribing to broadband and becoming full digital citizens.
The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with Senator Bob Casey and your staff on these issues and stands ready to support efforts to improve digital inclusion and equity for small businesses and the communities they serve. #GrowPR
###