Mexico: Initiatives to Promote the Internet
Internet usage and access in Mexico
is expanding and many organizations and programs, private, governmental, and
NPO, have been created in order to promote this growth and help transform Mexico into a
truly connected nation.
One of the Mexican government’s most ambitious programs is the e-Mexico initiative. It is a 400
million dollar initiative aiming offer internet to all Mexicans, eliminate
government corruption through an e-governance system, and offer education
resources to remote villages. This will be extremely difficult to achieve for
the Mexican government. Mexico
is still nowhere near 100% penetration, and the lofty initiative will rely
heavily on outside funding, as the government does not have that much money to
spend on such a project. There are thousands of computers still needed, and
internet-education will be difficult to achieve, as many Mexicans have never
used a computer before. The program has a long way to go, but at least it is
underway and has strong backing from the public and politicians alike. The
e-Mexico initiative also calls for all aspects of the government to be
transparent, and many government sites now have links to their respective
budget breakdowns. With a few more years
and continuing support from the Mexican government, this program will do a lot
to help the rest of Mexico
online. Through the INEGI (National
Institute of Statistics and Geographic Information), the Mexican government has
also launched a user-friendly site with information about the Internet and how
it can be used for education, business, and communication. The site is called CiberHabitat Mexico and it has resources for
people of all ages available. These are good signs that the Mexican government acknowledges
the importance of Internet connectivity and is working to expand it.
The Internet Society Mexico
Chapter was established in 1996, and aims primarily to expand the
development and availability of the Internet in Mexico. The ISMC has conducted a
yearly Internet congress during every year since its conception, and is
currently working alongside the Information Technology Industry Association of Mexico towards a
conference about Internet 2. The Mexican
Internet Association (AMIPCI) is yet another NPO that intends to consolidate
the Internet industry in Mexico
and foster economic growth through internet use. AMIPCI also conducts yearly Internet usage surveys and posts
them on their website. The existence of Associations like the ones mentioned
above is a great sign that people in Mexico who are knowledgeable about
the Internet industry are interested in helping it grow.
Hopefully through the efforts of the Mexican government and
associations such as the ISMC and AMIPCI Internet usage will continue to
increase exponentially until all of Mexico is connected. Although it is
growing quickly, Internet usage in Mexico
has not yet reached a critical point at which the people can use it as an
effective governance, education, and communication tool, but with continued
support and a bit of time, Mexico
can reach that goal.
References:
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2002/02/50622
http://www.e-mexico.gob.mx/
http://www.inegi.gob.mx/inegi/default.aspx
http://ciberhabitat.gob.mx/
http://www.isocmex.org.mx/intro.html
http://www.amipci.org.mx/
http://www.amipci.org.mx/estudios.php