The Minority Media & Telecom Council (MMTC) gathered leaders in diversity, technology, government, media, and more, for a two-day conference in Washington, DC.  Led by Chairman Henry Rivera and President David Honig, MMTC works year round to advance the interests of minorities in media, telecom, and broadband policy debates.

Day one of the conference was dedicated to telecom policy, beginning with a “Broadband and Social Justice Breakfast” featuring Honig and the President of the Women in Government, Hon. Daisy Lynum (interviewed below). Honig began the conversation noting the prominent role that telecom, broadband, and media have on jobs and the economy and the importance that these fields are diverse.  Their recommendations were two-fold:

1)   Building institutions (i.e. trade associations for multicultural entrepreneurs)

2)   Help focus attention on where it should be – broadband access and adoption.

The highlight of the afternoon was a panel titled “From the Mountaintop: Industry Leaders Address Digital Equality” featuring:

• Dean Garfield, President & CEO, Information Technology Industry Council
• Walter McCormick, President, USTelecom – The Broadband Association
• Kyle McSlarrow, President, National Cable and Telecommunications Association
• Hon. Gordon Smith, President, National Association of Broadcasters

The common theme that arose from the industry panel was how the Internet is powering extraordinary advancement opportunities, including for minority communities.  However, as McSlarrow noted, the true challenge is getting people to adopt broadband and see how it can touch so many facets of their lives.  McCormick urged for policies that will continue to encourage broadband investment and innovation, noting “the Internet has enormous opportunities to advance our society and the U.S. is the home of innovation.”

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