Title: Fair Mobile Report from South America
Author: Steve Song
Source: Many Possibilities
Date (published): 08/04/2010
Date (accessed): 09/04/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
The South American research network, DIRSI, have just published a report entitled “Tariffs and affordability gap of mobile telephony services in Latin America and the Caribbean” which profiles mobile affordability in Latin America and the Caribbean. In this post I contrast their approach with my own fledgling work on a Fair Mobile index for Africa.

Title: Mobile telephony in Latin America and the Caribbean: Who can afford it?
Publisher: DIRSI - Regional Dialogue on the Information Society
Date (published): 29/03/2010
Date (accessed): 09/04/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Mobile telephony has experienced a dramatic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean and it has an average penetration level of around 80%. But can mobile users afford the service's cost? What happens if we take income into account and compare Latin America's cost with those of other regions. Is mobile telephony in Latin America cheap or expensive?

Answers to these questions can be found in a study by Hernán Galperín within the framework of DIRSI's research on ICT Indicators and Mobile affordability...The study concludes that the high cost of mobile service in the region are primarily a result of the high level of market concentration and the heavy tax burden imposed on the service in most countries. Making mobile services mobile more affordable, says Galperin, “will require more competition in the sector, for example by implementing number portability and reserving radio spectrum for new operators, and reducing the tax burden imposed on a service that the poorer sectors depend on.

You can read the abstract and download the full report (Spanish only) here. (An English translation of the report will be published)