How can Internet help develop small poorly-communicated communities?

Abstract

Internet and e-mail have proved to be instrumental for the development of individuals and communities, provided they are properly used. Is it possible to benefit small communities with limited telephone resources? A solution is proposed to provide Internet and additional services to small towns' inhabitants in such a manner that the service is both self-sustainable and economically accessible to the user. The solution takes into account the telephone infrastructure constraints, the limitations in terms of computer literacy of the population, and the need to keep the service at an affordable cost for the user. It has been successfully proven as a pilot project in a small town of the state of Veracruz, México.