But, I think that we can all agree that there has never been a time when there has been no hostility. That past has created in us a toughness or strength, which can assist us in the future. Today, I want to talk about opportunities, focusing on those in the telecommunications arena. I will focus first on economic opportunities, and then talk about opportunities to influence policy making. I know that there are minority entrepreneurs out there who have the ingenuity and the drive to create them.
Minorities can find economic opportunities in the telecommunications and information industries.
First, let us take a look at some of the opportunities for minorities in constructing the information superhighway. And minority ownership of PCS is likely to do more for minority communities in terms of employment, training, community investment, and community enrichment than majority ownership. Access to capital for minorities is a problem, especially with respect to the new wireless technologies. In the aggregate, narrowband and broadband PCS licenses went for billions of dollars, far exceeding expectations. In addition, building out advanced, digital systems for personal communications services involves tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions, of dollars.