The Internet is a lifeline and a gateway to opportunity. We believe that digital connectivity must be accessible, affordable, reliable, and equitable. As Latino and migrant communities continue to grow, we demand that access to the internet grows as well. Nos Conectamos, a digital equity project initiated by Alianza Americas with funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has sought to ensure that people in migrant communities of Latin American and Caribbean origin were empowered with digital literacy skills necessary to bridge the digital divide to improve health, economic and cultural outcomes.

Through this work, we have developed and delivered workshops on digital skills and online information awareness. These workshops help participants understand different types of misinformation and ways to identify it. We also discuss good practices in finding information on sensitive topics such as elections and health-related topics and have hosted discussions about hate speech and bullying online, which is of particular concern to our members.

As part of our efforts under this project, we trained a group of community navigators in Houston, TX, Omaha, NE, and Washington, D.C., and were also able to help many families sign up for the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This program gave recipients a discount on their monthly Internet bill and a one-time discount on the purchase of a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet. 

The ACP was very successful, and at its height, 23 million households received some of its benefits. Unfortunately, the U.S. Congress has not approved funding requested by the FCC to allow the program to continue. New enrollments closed on February 8, 2024 and in May, all enrolled households lost their discount. A study by the Chamber of Progress found that losing the ACP benefit will also result in approximately $12 billion in additional losses in wages and job opportunities, telehealth savings, and educational benefits. 

We call on Congress to allocate the funds necessary to restart the program and make its benefits available again.
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ACHIEVEMENTS

• Over 8,500 multilingual, printed materials were distributed to inform community members about the benefits of the ACP
• More than 1000 in-person interactions were conducted in communities throughout Nebraska, Texas, and Washington D.C.
• Multiple workshops were organized to advance digital literacy among community navigators.