Skip to main content
Top

2010 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

The Internet in Latin America

Authors : Suely Fragoso, Alberto Efendy Maldonado

Published in: International Handbook of Internet Research

Publisher: Springer Netherlands

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

This article addresses the diverse patterns of internet access, uses and appropriations by different populations in Latin America. The correlation between nequalities in access and economic disparities is not sufficient to define or explain the region’s complexity. In an attempt to avoid economic and technological determinism while simultaneously visualizing the general picture of the internet in Latin America without disregarding its finer grain idiosyncrasies, the text is organized in three sections. First, a brief overall picture of the global position of Latin America with respect to the internet. Second, a discussion of three profiles of internet penetration and appropriation vis a vis similar local socioeconomic conditions. Third, qualitatively significant examples of the forms of use and appropriation of the internet in Latin America.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Footnotes
1
GNI per capita is the gross national income, converted to US dollars using the World Bank Atlas Method, divided by the midyear population (The World Bank, 2008).
 
2
E-readiness ranking is a weighted collection of nearly 100 quantitative and qualitative criteria, organised into six categories measuring various components of a country’s social, political, economic and technological development. The categories are “Connectivity and Technology Infrastructure”; “Business Environment”; “Legal Environment”; “Government Policy and Vision”; “Social and Cultural Environment”; Consumer and business adoption (EIU & IBM/IBV, 2008, pp. 22–23).
 
3
Amongst the categories used to derive the e-readiness index is Connectivity and Technology Infrastructure, which “measures the extent to which individuals and businesses can access mobile networks and the internet, and their ability to access digital services through means such as digital identity cards”. Penetration and affordability are key metrics, use of secure servers and the commitment of the country to implementing digital identity cards are also taken into account (EIU & IBM/IBV, 2008, p. 22). In 2008, the e-readiness ranking covered 70 countries and did not include Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay.
 
4
In this text the term “telecentre” is used to designate points of access to computers and the internet that are either free or charged, but are non profit making. Related terms such as infocentres and community digital centres, are used to refer to telecentres that are so named by a specific project or initiative.
 
5
By “cybercafe” we refer to private locations that provide charged public access to the internet to make a profit.
 
6
These figures are for non-profit points only.
 
7
AcessaSP is the São Paulo State Government digital inclusion program.
 
8
Since 1999, Plataforma Lattes (http://​lattes.​cnpq.​br) integrates and makes public the vitae of Brazilian researchers. In 2008, it has been integrated with several other scientific networks. Since 2006, the complete texts of all dissertations and theses defended in Brazil are obligatorily made public (http://​www.​capes.​gov.​br).
 
9
Worth noting are the experiments of making documents and government reports available online in Chile (http://​www.​gobiernodechile.​cl), Brazil (http://​www.​e.​gov.​br) and Mexico (http://​www.​gob.​mx/).
 
10
Delgadillo, Gómez e Stoll report the existence of power struggles between directors and local leaders, transforming telecentres into a source of personal gain through corruption or theft. They also mention rejection of the telecentre by powerful groups that felt threatened by its role as a meeting point and source of information outside of their control. “In Ecuador, for example, the men of a community forced the closure of the telecentre as a means of ensuring their power and increased the domestic violence practiced against the women of this community” (Delgadillo, Gómez & Stoll, 2002, p. 16).
 
Literature
go back to reference AcessaSP. (2006). Ponline 2006, results. Data supplied by J. Zuquim, research coordinator to S. Fragoso, 2006. AcessaSP. (2006). Ponline 2006, results. Data supplied by J. Zuquim, research coordinator to S. Fragoso, 2006.
go back to reference Angotti, T. (2005). Cities of the Americas in the information age. Trans Telesymposia. Issue 2. Moderator V. B. Urban. Information Technology. Retrieved October 20, 2006, from http://www.echonyc.com/∼ trans/Telesymposia2/angotti03.html Angotti, T. (2005). Cities of the Americas in the information age. Trans Telesymposia. Issue 2. Moderator V. B. Urban. Information Technology. Retrieved October 20, 2006, from http://​www.​echonyc.​com/∼ trans/Telesymposia2/angotti03.html
go back to reference CGI. (2007a). Pesquisa sobre o Uso das Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação no Brasil – TIC DOMICÍLIOS E TIC EMPRESAS 2007. Coordenação Mariana Balboni. Retrieved July 7, 2008, from http://www.cgi.br CGI. (2007a). Pesquisa sobre o Uso das Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação no Brasil – TIC DOMICÍLIOS E TIC EMPRESAS 2007. Coordenação Mariana Balboni. Retrieved July 7, 2008, from http://​www.​cgi.​br
go back to reference CGI. (2007b). Destaques TIC Domicílios 2007 – Uso e Posse de Computador e Internet, Barreiras de Acesso, Uso do Celular, Intenção de aquisição. Retrieved July 16, 2008, from http://www.cetic.br CGI. (2007b). Destaques TIC Domicílios 2007 – Uso e Posse de Computador e Internet, Barreiras de Acesso, Uso do Celular, Intenção de aquisição. Retrieved July 16, 2008, from http://​www.​cetic.​br
go back to reference Cisco System. (2006a). Estudio de Banda Ancha en Peru 2005–2010. Barômetro Cisco de Banda Ancha, IDC. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://www.idc.com Cisco System. (2006a). Estudio de Banda Ancha en Peru 2005–2010. Barômetro Cisco de Banda Ancha, IDC. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://​www.​idc.​com
go back to reference Cisco Systems. (2006b). Estudio de Banda Ancha en Chile 2002–2010, Barômetro Cisco de Banda Ancha, IDC. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://www.idc.com Cisco Systems. (2006b). Estudio de Banda Ancha en Chile 2002–2010, Barômetro Cisco de Banda Ancha, IDC. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://​www.​idc.​com
go back to reference Comissión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones. (2005). Informe Sectorial de Telecomunicaciones. Deciembre 2005, n. 6. Retrieved October 28, 2006, from http://www.crt.gov.co Comissión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones. (2005). Informe Sectorial de Telecomunicaciones. Deciembre 2005, n. 6. Retrieved October 28, 2006, from http://​www.​crt.​gov.​co
go back to reference Comissión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones. (2006). Medición de Factores Multiplicadores para el Cálculo de Usuarios de Internet en Colombia. Retrieved October 28, 2006, from http://www.crt.gov.co Comissión de Regulación de Telecomunicaciones. (2006). Medición de Factores Multiplicadores para el Cálculo de Usuarios de Internet en Colombia. Retrieved October 28, 2006, from http://​www.​crt.​gov.​co
go back to reference Córdova, E. L. (2006). Sending money home: Can remittances reduce poverty? Id21 Insights n. 60, January 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2006, from http://www.id21.org Córdova, E. L. (2006). Sending money home: Can remittances reduce poverty? Id21 Insights n. 60, January 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2006, from http://​www.​id21.​org
go back to reference Gioria, B. M. I. (2004). Internet: distribución espacial en Argentina y su relación con factores socioeconómicos. Scripta Nova – revista electrónica de geografía y ciencias sociales. Barcelona, Espanha. Retrieved October 2, 2006, from http://www.ub.es/geocrit/nova.htm Gioria, B. M. I. (2004). Internet: distribución espacial en Argentina y su relación con factores socioeconómicos. Scripta Nova – revista electrónica de geografía y ciencias sociales. Barcelona, Espanha. Retrieved October 2, 2006, from http://​www.​ub.​es/​geocrit/​nova.​htm
go back to reference Robinson, S. S. (2003). Las E-Remesas: Hacia una Política Integral de Remesas para la Región Centroamericana. Mexico: Instituto para la Conectividad en las Américas. Robinson, S. S. (2003). Las E-Remesas: Hacia una Política Integral de Remesas para la Región Centroamericana. Mexico: Instituto para la Conectividad en las Américas.
go back to reference Scalise, J. (2005). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Argentina as measured by the National Institute for Statistics and Census (INDEC). Retrieved October 4 2006, from http://www.indec.gov.ar/ Scalise, J. (2005). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Argentina as measured by the National Institute for Statistics and Census (INDEC). Retrieved October 4 2006, from http://​www.​indec.​gov.​ar/
go back to reference Vega, N. (2006). Estudio de Banda Ancha en Chile 2002–2010. International Data Corporation, Chile. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://www.idc.com Vega, N. (2006). Estudio de Banda Ancha en Chile 2002–2010. International Data Corporation, Chile. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://​www.​idc.​com
Metadata
Title
The Internet in Latin America
Authors
Suely Fragoso
Alberto Efendy Maldonado
Copyright Year
2010
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9789-8_12

Premium Partner