Digital equality means a connection people can actually use
Anthony Carrillo, Esq.
NAPREC Founder and Chairman
Issue commentary · Broadband · September 15, 2026
A broadband agenda for Puerto Rico should be measured by what residents can do with a connection. Can a student complete an assignment, a worker attend an interview, or a family reach a public service without repeated interruption? A line on a coverage map cannot answer every question about daily experience.
This article sets out NAPREC’s proposed advocacy priorities; it does not announce a grant award, certify coverage at an address, or promise a particular service. Those details require current confirmation from the responsible provider or program.
We should ask broadband initiatives to address availability, affordability, reliability, and usability together. A household may face more than one barrier: the service, the device, the cost, or the confidence to complete an unfamiliar online process. Public services also need accessible design and understandable information in the languages residents use.
A useful public project update should identify the communities to be served, expected milestones, and how residents can report that the promised experience has not materialized. Advocates should seek evidence that a project is operational, alongside the amount of funding announced.
Digital inclusion also means retaining practical alternatives for people who cannot complete a task online. The ability to register, request assistance, or communicate with an institution should not depend on navigating a confusing website alone.
Puerto Rico deserves a digital future designed around people. The question is not only whether infrastructure exists, but whether it enables meaningful participation in education, work, commerce, and civic life.