Carlos Vera Quintana, director of Ecuador’s telecenter initiative, spoke of the challenges of getting a small, rural country online. Ecuador has less resources than many other countries and must focus its policy priorities on the basic needs of its citizens. The government recognizes the need to make Internet access more affordable, but financial strains make it difficult to address nationwide. Still largely an agricultural economy, Ecuador lacks strong manufacturing and ICT industries. But technologies such as mobile phones and cable/satellite television is becoming more commonplace, though affordability is still a major barrier for Ecuador’s citizens.
Currently there are 1500 cybercafes in the country, but overall PC penetration remains low – only eight computers per 100 people. The government seeks to deploy mobile labs as well as establish rural wi-fi initiatives, since wire-line access is prohibitively expensive in remote communities. The government is also working to launch 200 telecenters around the country.
But Internet deployment is more than just a financial challenge. In some communities, Internet access is seen by corrupt community leaders as a threat , since the Internet will help educate the population and make them more civically aware. If successfully deployed, therefore, Internet access could revolutionize civic participation as well as help Ecuador built an information-driven economy.