Julie You give the solution in your own comment. Yes, there are people who have their own motives for closing the digital divide but we as African Americans need to to drive the closure so that we can have more seats at the table. If we can change the landscape and build awareness you will see the changes in the areas you speak of. Ironically there is another post on this site about Black publishers [...]

Wiliam I’m sorry but your contradicting yourself. First you say that they don’t have the capitol to build the applications and now your talking about them spending money on radio and TV advertising, creating cafes , creating wireless access points AND creating AA themed Kinkos?? I feel like i just got out of the hot tub time machine. Even in their heyday I don’t think the JET/Ebony Cafe/internet hangout/kinkos place would have been that successful. [...]

Capitol???? Did you read my post here on blackweb about what it takes to build an iPhone app? http://www.blackweb20.com/2009/11/24/creating-a-new-generation-of-technology-entrepreneurs-part-2-consumption-vs-creation/ . The only cost is $99 to get your app on to the AppStore. If things are really tight go a local college and hire some comp sci interns to learn how to do it and build the app. Apple was hungry for content from publishers for this launch. Opportunity missed! Originally posted as a comment [...]

I spent some time in DC this week. First I sat on a panel sponsored by National Journal Magazine . We talked about the National broadband plan and what effect it may have on increasing broadband adoption and use among our country’s population. It ended up being a good panel, but also showed how long this process of increasing broadband adoption might take. Take a look at the video here. I also attended an event [...]

I submitted a few questions to the CitizenTube Livestream interview with FCC Chairman Genachowski and guess what, it was picked and answered. Take look at the video below and let me know what you think of his answer. Navarrow’s Question for FCC Chairman Genachowski from Navarrow Wright on Vimeo.

The National Broadband Plan: What’s in it for Businesses? http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031810-national-broadband-plan-business.html I found an article that asked that very question. It mentions how even though the plan is primarily focused on boosting broadband adoption it does create some benefits for the enterprise. The key benefit they focus on increased telecommuting options for employees and companies. The plan will do this by effectively increasing broadband speeds for all and extending broadband into rural areas where employees currently [...]

Monday was the 25th anniversary of the first  .com domain ever registered. The company is defunct but that action started a revolution. We now live in an era where  .com domain names play a crucial part in our everyday lives.  A web presence is an essential reality for most businesses, and as a general rule, companies that do not have a website domain registered are not really in business.  As I think about how far [...]

The Net Neutrality Title Game http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20000267-94.html So today I came across an article on CNET News that explains how proposed Net Neutrality rules (rules that will enabled the FCC to regulate private sector Internet providers in a manner that could potentially stifle the competitive landscape, shift the costs of expansion and advancement into the hands of everyday consumers, and slow down the adoption of high-speed Internet by minorities and the under-served by ultimately raising prices [...]

“Net Neutrality is a Muddle” http://www.nbler.com/internet-high-priestess-esther-dyson-on-net-neutrality.html I thought this was a great statement and sums up what I have been saying for a while now. People are not being given all the information about why the currently proposed Net Neutrality changes will not work to their benefit. Esther Dyson talks about this and how two tiered pricing is not necessarily a bad thing. The most important part of the dialogue is that she gives concrete [...]

I don’t think anyone is surprised by the two broadband-related studies released in the last several days.  An FCC survey concluded “affordability” is one of the main reasons why nearly one-third of Americans do not have broadband at home.  And the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found “lower income groups continue to lag in their internet use.”   Don’t get me wrong.  Research is helpful, but we need to move on to the solutions. [...]