The informational life of the poor: A study of digital access in three Mexican towns

This paper seeks to contribute to the debate on the impact of the adoption of information technologies (ICT) in poverty reduction by understanding how the poor obtain, share and use ICT on their everyday life - what we call the informational lives of the poor. It identifies the opportunities and challenges regarding ICT adoption in three rural communities with different levels of marginalization and connectivity in Mexico. Using "before and after" studies we attempt to identify and understand mechanisms through which ICT (and broadband, in particular), may have an impact on poverty alleviation. Using a combination of the Capabilities Approach and Livelihoods Perspective, this research shows that mobile broadband access (as opposed to fixed shared access) and effective training through the role of infomediaries enables low-income communities to develop new skills, to engage in new practices and to find useful applications for old and new abilities, needs and interests. A specific finding that has not received attention in the literature is the productive role of immediate family members as infomediaries; the weight of family networks plays a crucial role in learning about ICTs. These networks fuel a sense of confidence required to handle knowledge and practices that are initially alien in this sector. We found that ICT adoption changes the pattern of information seeking and enhances informational capabilities and existing assets of low-income communities. Through our control case, that did not have any connectivity, we identified the high transaction cost people face as well as the business opportunities the digitally excluded forego

Impactos del gobierno electrónico en los programas sociales de transferencia condicionada de renta

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Regulación y competencia en las telecomunicaciones mexicanas

Incluye BibliografíaEste documento fue preparado por Judith Mariscal, profesora e investigadora del CIDE y Directora del Programa de Investigación en Telecomunicaciones Telecom-CIDE, y Eugenio Rivera, profesor e investigador del CIDE y coordinador del Proyecto CEPAL/IDRC "Reforzando la competencia en el Istmo Centroamericano: Políticas e Instituciones Nacionales, Coordinación Regional y Participación en Negociaciones Internacionales". Regulation and competition of Mexican telecommunications Abstract: This report was put together by Judith Mariscal, professor and investigator of CIDE and Director of the Program for  Investigation of Telecommunications  "Telecom- CIDE", and Eugenio Rivera professor and investigator of CIDE, and coordinator of the IDRC/ECLAC project; "Reinforcing competition in  the Central American Isthmus; Policies and National Institutions, Regional Coordination and Participation in International Negotiations"

Organización industrial y competencia en las telecomunicaciones en América Latina: estrategias empresariales

Incluye BibliografíaResumen La industria de la telecomunicaciones en América Latina ha sufrido importantes transformaciones a largo de la última década. A inicios de la década pasada se implementaron reformas favorables al mercado que privatizaron y liberalizaron el sector en la mayoría de los países de la región. Actualmente nos enfrentamos al hecho, no esperado, de que han desaparecido de la industria gran parte de las empresas que entraron durante el inicio del período posterior a las reformas. En efecto, no parecía previsible en esa época, por ejemplo, que las grandes empresas estadounidenses abandonaran el mercado latinoamericano. Sin embargo, hoy en día, dos empresas, Telefónica de España y Telmex-América Móvil aparecen como los dos únicos grandes jugadores en el mercado de las telecomunicaciones en la región. Este documento busca contribuir a explicar estas transformaciones y a identificar las tendencias que el sector puede mostrar en el futuro cercano. Analiza la evolución del sector en América Latina a partir de las reformas implementadas comparando las estrategias empresariales, el desempeño y la estructura de mercado en el que operan las dos grandes empresas. A partir de este análisis, este documento identifica la aparición de una nueva etapa en el desarrollo del sector en la región. En esta etapa, más allá de la consolidación de las dos grandes empresas, se encuentran presentes el liderazgo de la telefonía móvil, una creciente importancia de Internet de banda ancha, una reorganización interna de las empresas frente a la convergencia tecnológica y la presión a una cierta homogeneización sobre los marcos regulatorios en la región

Los planes nacionales de universalización

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The informational life of the poor: A study of digital access in three Mexican towns

This paper seeks to contribute to the debate on the impact of the adoption of information technologies (ICT) in poverty reduction by understanding how the poor obtain, share and use ICT on their everyday life - what we call the informational lives of the poor. It identifies the opportunities and challenges regarding ICT adoption in three rural communities with different levels of marginalization and connectivity in Mexico. Using "before and after" studies we attempt to identify and understand mechanisms through which ICT (and broadband, in particular), may have an impact on poverty alleviation. Using a combination of the Capabilities Approach and Livelihoods Perspective, this research shows that mobile broadband access (as opposed to fixed shared access) and effective training through the role of infomediaries enables low-income communities to develop new skills, to engage in new practices and to find useful applications for old and new abilities, needs and interests. A specific finding that has not received attention in the literature is the productive role of immediate family members as infomediaries; the weight of family networks plays a crucial role in learning about ICTs. These networks fuel a sense of confidence required to handle knowledge and practices that are initially alien in this sector. We found that ICT adoption changes the pattern of information seeking and enhances informational capabilities and existing assets of low-income communities. Through our control case, that did not have any connectivity, we identified the high transaction cost people face as well as the business opportunities the digitally excluded forego.Fil: Benítez Larghi, Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (UNLP-CONICET); Argentina.Fil: Mariscal Avilés, Judith. Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Economía; México.Fil: Martínez Aguayo, María Angélica. Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Economía; México