CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Federal Communications Commission member and South Carolina native Mignon Clyburn says closing America's digital divide is essential both for the nation's economy and the nation's civic life.
Clyburn was in Charleston Friday joining state and local officials as Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen presented a foundation grant to help close the divide in the city.
The company's Internet Essentials program introduced in Charleston last year works to help low-income families meet the costs of acquiring computers and broadband.
Clyburn says one third of Americans don't have broadband. She says that makes it tougher for those people to find jobs or their kids to do homework. Clyburn also says information and news available on the Internet is crucial to those people knowing about issues facing their communities and the nation.