Report on Minorities and Mobile Internet Access

An article worth reading over at Ars Technica concerning the recent Pew survey on race and mobile Internet devices.

And this report has to be good news for those hoping to put a more positive spin on the nation's progress in providing broadband for all Americans.

The Pew report notes big shifts in the way minorities are accessing the Internet. And it's got everything to do with handheld devices. I'll let you read how Ars breaks it down.

Soon, I'd like to see a report detailing usage by region. If there was one thing I noticed on my recent road trip through the American South was the use of Wi-Fi availability in rural areas as a marketing tool for everything from motels to restaurants to campsites.

[Addendum 8:50PM EST -- A commenter here recently remarked that the sorts of broad coverage platforms needed for mass access are often prohibitively expensive and somewhat limited in what they can offer. I'd love to hear from someone working in the wireless field or in mobile Internet: what does the future hold? In a 'perfect world' scenario, what would make the best sense? And what are the immediate obstacles?]

Are we getting closer to Internet access ubiquity? Are handhelds the key to ubiquity?

And if they are, then what does it mean when schools have policies banning cellphones and mobile devices?

The full report is available here from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.