RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Starr County leaders such as Rose Benavidez and state Rep. Ryan Guillen are concerned about they say are inaccurate maps showing a high percentage of residents having access to broadband.
Benavidez, president and CEO of Starr County Industrial Foundation, moderated a panel discussion on ways to bridge her county’s digital divide. The panelists were four executives with Rio Grande Valley-based internet service provider VTX1.
Rep. Guillen gave brief remarks at the start of the event and asked a question about the mapping of Starr County during the Q&A.
"With the passage of Proposition 8 this month, we’re making great strides in bridging the digital divide in Texas. Broadband is vital for our economy, schools, and healthcare, but too many rural locations are still not connected or are under-connected," Guillen said.
Benavidez, in an interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, said the officials maps say 95 percent of Starr County has access to broadband. Benavidez said she doubts that the figure is as high as 50 percent.
The audio recording below features the interview with Benavidez and the question posed by Rep. Guillen. The question was answered by Orlando Quintanilla, COO of VTX 1.
