The Tecámac Project Update

In the United States, almost every household has a computer connected to the Internet. However, in developing countries, this is not the case. An interesting experiment is occurring in a city near Mexico City called Tecámac, which is aimed at providing both housing and computers with internet access through government mortgages. Although originally aimed at low-income families, it appears that middle income families are moving in. The majority of the heads of households work in Mexico City, with a wide range of professions, such as professors, military pilots, newspaper journalists, engineers, quality control supervisors, and tourist guides to name a few.

Mexico, like many Latin American countries, is experiencing a significant increase in the presence of computers in the home with Internet access. The INEGI (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática ) reports that in 2005, 18.4% of Mexican families had access to a personal computer in the home (INEGI, 2005). This number is almost double the 11% reported in 2001. According to the same study, 9.0% of Mexican homes had an Internet connection. These figures complement a 2005 study by the AMIPCI (La Asociación Mexicana de Internet) which says that 18.2% of Mexicans use the Internet, equating to approximately 17.1 million people. The same study cites that the majority of Internet access is from homes (40%) followed by cybercafés (30%), work places (20%) and schools (10%).

The housing development is more or less a self-contained community, with its own schools, shopping areas, parks and playgrounds. It consists of 1,800 small homes that are connected wirelessly to the Internet by a company called Conectha. Conectha also provides community information, e-mail, educational content, online grocery shopping, and access to security systems.

CRITO’s Victor Gonzalez and Ken Kraemer are engaged in an assessment of the Tecámac project over the next three years with intentions of better understanding the achievements of the project. The study will explore the role of technology as a factor associated with the purchase of housing, the creation of self-contained communities, and the integration of technological services to the daily practices of lower income families.

Earlier this year the researchers visited the community and began conducting the first phase of interviews. They interviewed families in the community, school teachers, companies and agencies involved with the project. While the study is still in its infancy, the interviews provided some interesting insights.

• The developers wanted to differentiate their homes from others. Their underlying philosophy was that Mexican people value education as a way for themselves and their children to get ahead, so the Internet and a computer in the home can provide a means to that advantage. However, when homeowners were interviewed about relevant factors influencing their purchase decision, the three most important factors were the aesthetics of the property, that it was a secure/safe location, and the tranquility of the area. The presence of technology made the living spaces appear more attractive, but was not a significant factor in the purchase decision.
  
  
• Although the housing company was profitable, the Internet provider was not yet profitable due to the slow take-up of Internet use and the need to provide training to many households. The hope is that the Internet services will be embraced by more households, thus sparking demands for this kind of service in future housing. If this happens, the Internet provider will be a successful enterprise.
  
  
• Residents gave examples of how access to the Internet allows for better information. For instance, if a resident needs to order a taxi, the community website not only provides the name and phone number of the service, but it also provides the standard rates to different destinations in the region.
  
  
• The homebuilders conveyed that buyers like the ability to show friends and co-workers their houses and community via the Internet. This has become a status symbol for the homeowners and at the same time is great advertising for the builders.

At this point Gonzalez is conducting analysis of the interview data and preparing a report. A physical visit to the community is planned again in early 2007 to conduct the next phase of interviews.