A Digital Lifeline: Evaluating the Impact of a Program Providing Ruggedized Internet Routers to Hispanic Farmworkers in North Carolina.

Authors

Wilson L Wysor, Jaime Guzman-Valdez, Genesis Ramirez, Natalie D Rivera, Jocelyn R Santillán-Deras, Tania Connaughton-Espino, Joseph G L Lee, Catherine E LePrevost

Published in

Hispanic health care international : the official journal of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. Pages 15404153261475642. Sep 10, 2026. Epub Sep 10, 2026.

Abstract

IntroductionAccess to reliable internet is recognized as a social determinant of health, yet many migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina (NC) face barriers to connectivity due to rural housing locations and limited infrastructure. In response to these challenges, the NC Farmworker Health Program implemented a pilot program that installed ruggedized internet routers in employer-provided farmworker housing where other internet options were not available to improve digital inclusion and telehealth access.MethodsThis qualitative study evaluated the program four years after implementation through interviews with Hispanic farmworkers (n=9) and farm owners (n=5), internet performance tests, and site observations at participating NC farms in 2024.ResultsFindings showed that internet access fostered communication with family among Hispanic farmworkers. However, there were significant programmatic challenges, including weak or limited signal range, poor internet speed, lack of privacy, minimal cybersecurity, and low awareness of telehealth services. Farm owners supported the program but expressed concerns about sustaining it without continued funding due to performance limitations and costs.ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of sustainable, high-quality internet in rural farmworker housing and suggest a need for expanded support, improved performance, and greater education around tools such as telehealth to address inequities that agricultural communities face.

PMID:
42720522
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Sep 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.