ABSTRACT
Structural inequalities and unevenly distributed international communication flows opened up a debate on dependency and media imperialism. The average uptake of telecommunication services in rural communities in Mexico thus remains low, but even gross numbers are a mere average, and in certain locations — mainly because of difficult mountainous terrain — the availability is close to zero. Individuals in rural communities face constant intermittency in mobile phone signal availability, and national statistics rarely reflect this. Rural communities ended up without telecommunication services in addition to lacking electricity, drinking water, drainage, health services, and education facilities. The mobile network relied on a radio base operating on the 900 MHz frequency band, which in Mexico was free from legal concession. The keys to the success of the project have been its social aims, an alternative technological model for operation, and the eventual appropriation of Information and Communication Technology by the community itself.
