Latino-Oriented Portal to Offer Free Internet Access
Trying to narrow the digital divide, Picosito.com is offering free Internet service to its largely Latino users.
The San Francisco company, launched last summer, operates a bilingual portal that targets mostly professional and student users. Founders Jesse and Edwardo Martinez have also pledged to “build a Hispanic/Latino online community” by bringing services to those left off the information superhighway.
“As more and more Hispanics in the U.S. purchase computers, we want to make sure they also have Internet access within reach, free of charge,” Edwardo Martinez said. “Our goal is to help drive and improve the rate at which Hispanics go online.”
The free Internet service is being offered through an agreement with 1stUp.com, a majority-owned operating company of Andover, Mass.-based CMGI Inc. Picosito.com is the latest partner to carry 1stUp.com’s ad-supported Internet access, in which users receive free unlimited access in exchange for keeping a sponsor-oriented navigation bar open on their screen. The arrangement is similar to one that 1stUp.com has with partner AltaVista Co.
Studies show Latinos lagging behind their white counterparts in computer ownership and Internet use. However, the gap is slowly narrowing as Latinos purchase computers faster than any other group. Picosito.com is one of many Latino-oriented Internet companies that have emerged in the last year. It focuses on U.S. Latinos, whereas others have included U.S. Latinos in an overall strategy to capture Spanish speakers worldwide.
