AT&T Foundation donating $25,000 to address RGV's digital divide

EDINBURG, Texas - The AT&T Foundation is donating $25,000 to the Rio Grande Valley Partnership to help address the Valley’s digital divide.At a news conference held at a UT-Rio Grande Valley facility in Edinburg, AT&T’s J.D. Salinas said his company was investing $2 billion across the country over the next three years to bridge the digital divide.With the funding, RGV Partnership is to ask UTRGV to provide courses to help those with limited or no computer skills. UTRGV says it will provide instruction in four centers across the Valley, one in each of the region’s four counties. “I am honored to announce today, that together with UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, and with the leadership of Senator Hinojosa (without him we would not be here today), AT&T is giving a $25,000 grant through the AT&T Foundation to the RGV Partnership to support South Texans impacted by the digital divide,” Salinas said.“This grant is part of AT&T’s recent announcement (of a) nationwide commitment to bridge the digital divide and homework gap. AT&T is committing more than $2 billion over the next three years to bridge that digital divide through affordable broadband offers for both consumers and education institutions, as well as high quality educational resources, community investments through AT&T’s Connected Learning (program).”Salinas is vice president of external and legislative affairs for AT&T.Appearing with Salinas at the news conference were Sergio Contreras, representing the RGV Partnership, state Sen. Juan Hinojosa of McAllen, and three representatives from UTRGV - Veronica Gonzales, Ron Garza, and Linda Ufland Romo.The attached podcast features remarks given at the news conference by AT&T’s Salinas, along with interviews with RGVP’s Contreras and UTRGV’s Ufland Romo. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.