Title: Policies on Access to Information Technologies: The Case of e-Mexico
Authors: Judith Mariscal, J. Ramon Gil-Garcia, Armando Aldama-Nalda
Pages: 16 pp.
ISSN: 1544-7529
Source: Information Technologies & International Development; Volume 7, Number 2, Summer 2011, 1–16
Publisher: USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
Date (published): 09/06/2011
Date (accessed): 14/07/2011
Type of information: peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This article examines the ICT-for-development program implemented by the Mexican government during the early 2000s, the “National e-Mexico System.” It focuses on the connectivity component of the program, which created shared access to ICTs. Little is known about the beneaciaries’ perception of the Digital Community Centers (DCCs), or about the use they give to these tools. In order to obtain an assessment on the beneats to users of these centers, we conducted an exploratory survey in a sample of 23 DCCs. The results of our study indicate that this program has a positive, albeit limited, impact. Mostly, beneats reach young students by supporting their schoolwork and offering recreational activities. The fundamental weaknesses of the program reside in its limited scope, its lack of training, and the very low quality of broadband that is offered."