The State of Latin American Information Society Indicators

Michael.Minges@itu.intInternational Telecommunication

Union

International Telecommunication Union• United Nations specialized

agency for telecommunications

• Oldest inter-governmental organization

• Global organization with broad membership

• Mandate includes promoting the development of ICT sector worldwide

• Main inter-governmental agency collecting ICT infrastructure and user statistics for all countries and regionswww.itu.int/ti

The importance of Information Society indicators• Need up-to-date,

relevant and comparable statistics to monitor and analyze Information Society developments

• Indicators should be readily available so that more time can be spent on analysis

• Although many indicators are useful, this presentation focuses on access to Information & Communication Technology (ICT)

Sources of Information Society indicators• Telecom regulators• National statistical offices• Telecom operators• Market research firms

Classifying Information Society indicators

NationalRadio SetsTelevision Sets

Fixed telephone

Lines in service

Mobile telephone

Subscribers

Total telephone

Fixed+Mobile

Personal computer

Total

Internet SubscribersUsers

HouseholdRadioTelevision (regular, pay)Fixed onlyMobile onlyFixed or mobilePCHome Internet access (connection type)

Community

Localities with servicePopulation coverage

Number of / Localities with public access

Problems with Latin American ICT statistics• Hard to find

– In many cases, not readily available• Non-existent

– Few countries have carried out detailed ICT surveys

• Reliability– Particularly for PCs and Internet users

Regulatory agencies:South America

Country Regulator Web siteArgentina Secom secom.psi.gov.ar/municipios/ver.asp?MID=10&tipo=

nota&id=141 Bolivia Sittel www.sittel.gov.bo/sittel/sercon.nsf/($All)?OpenViewBrazil Anatel www.anatel.gov.br/indicadores/default.aspChile Subtel www.subtel.cl/servlet/page?

_pageid=58&_dad=portal30&_schema=PORTAL30Colombia CRT www.crt.gov.co/paginas/internas/infsector/ppal.htm Ecuador Supertel www.supertel.gov.ec/ecuador/ecuador2.htm Paraguay Conatel www.conatel.gov.py/indicadores.htm Peru Osiptel www.osiptel.gob.pe/Index.ASP?T=P&P=2635Uruguay* Ursec www.ursec.gub.uy/home.htmVenezuela Conatel www.conatel.gov.ve/ns/index.htm

Availability of telecom/ICT indicators

* No ICT indicators available on web site.

Regulatory agencies:Central America

Country Regulator Web siteCosta Rica* ARESP www.aresep.go.crEl Salvador SIGET http://www.siget.gob.sv/Resumen%20Manual

%20de%20Indicadores%201998%201999%202000%202001%202002.htm

Guatemala SIT www.sit.gob.gt/ger_regula_06.htmHonduras Conatel www.conatel.hn/EstadoTelcoms/

estado_telecoms_hond_2000.htmNicaragua Telcor www.telcor.gob.ni/Estadisticas.aspMexico CFT http://

www.cft.gob.mx/frame_economico_estadisticas.html Panama Ente

regulador www.enteregulador.gob.pa/estadisticas.asp

Availability of telecom/ICT indicators

* No ICT indicators available on web site.

General ICT indicators

Radio215 million sets

44 per 100 people

Television139 million sets

29 per 100 people

Internet26 million users5 per 100 people

Newspaper35 million in circulation

7 per 100 people

Latin America Profile, 2001

Millennium Development GoalsGoal 8: Build a global

partnership for development… includes ICT indicators:

• Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 people

• Personal computers in use per 100 people

• Internet users per 100 people

11.4

2.40.3

33.4

6.0 5.1

24% 20%

73%

Main lines PCs Internet

19962001CAGR

Latin AmericaPer 100 inhabitants

Internet users: Where do the data come from?

• In majority of countries, regulators offer a figure for users usually based on number of subscribers

• In Uruguay, the telecom operator provides a figure

• Only Chile & Paraguay seem to have carried out nationwide survey by NSO

• Market researchers– Nielsen//NetRatings

• Very misleading (only home access) – Local consultancies

• Only Argentina, Brazil, Mexico• Argentina, Mexico, Peru• Sometimes not nationwide

0 1 2 3 4 5

ParaguayHonduras

PanamaMexicoBrazil

L.AmericaArgentinaColombia

VenezuelaC.RicaBolivia

EcuadorChilePeru

Ratio: Internet users ÷Internet

subscribers 2001

Source: ITU adapted from national data.

124.6

Universal service versus universal access

R2 = 0.7

0102030405060708090

100

$0 $2'000 $4'000 $6'000 $8'000 $10'000 $12'000 $14'000

Universal access Universal service

Tele

phon

es p

er 1

00

hous

ehol

ds

Per capita income, PPP$, 2000

Community indicators Household indicators

ICT in households2001

0102030405060708090

100

Mexico Chile Brazil Argentina Portugal Spain USA Canada

TelephonePCInternet

Uruguay: Encuesta Continua de Hogares

93.0

48.6

17.4

13.0

73.4

95.1

45.8

24.7

18.9

85.1

90.7

51.6

9.5

6.6

60.0

Televisorcolor

Conexión aTV para

abonados

Micro-computadora

Conexión aInternet

Teléfono

Total Montevideo Interior urbano

10 Este hogar ¿cuenta con: SI NOCalefón o termofón .............................................Calentador instantáneo de agua ........................ Refrigerador .......................................................T. V. Color ..........................................................Conexión a T. V. por abonados (cable o similar)Videocasetero ....................................................Lavarropa ...........................................................Lavavajilla ...........................................................Horno microondas ..............................................Microcomputadora .............................................. Conexión a Internet ............................................ Automóvil o camioneta para usoparticular del hogar ............................................. Teléfono ..............................................................

Source: ITU adapted from INE, ECH 2001

www.ine.gub.uy

Peru stands out

5.1

9.19.3

11.9

7.7L.America

Peru

Argentina C.Rica

UruguayChile

L. AmericaTop 5 byInternet

users per100 people

2001

Peru

R2 = 0.59

0

5

10

15

0 5'000 10'000 15'000

<-Internet Usersper 100, 2001

Per capita income,

US$ 2000

74.3

23.8

5.00.4

0102030405060708090

100

Electricity Tele-phone

PC Internet

Peru: Household equipment / services,

%, 2000

Source: ITU adapted from INEI.Source: ITU.

Community access

• Most Peruvians access the Internet from cybercafes “cabinas publicas”

• Some 1’740 cabinas in the country

83%

18%

17%

11%

6%

Cabinapública

Work

School

Home

OtherPeru

Location of Internet use

October 2001

Accessibility indicators

56767677

838590

C. RicaNicaraguaGuatemalaC.America

PanamaHonduras

E.SalvadorMexico

???

Mobile population coverage, 2001

> 28 blocks2%No

access3%

< 28 blocks27%

None32%

Fixed 28%

Both 25%

Mobile 15%

Telephone access in Chile, 2000

% households with telephone service Distance from

telephone

Source: ITU adapted from Subtel.

2'528 513

196'328 61%

25%14%

Rural Semi-Urban Urban

% of population

Source: INEGI, Telmex.

25’368

have tele-

phone servic

e

Mexico localities, 2000

Good reports

Suggestions• Telecom regulators should improve

collection and dissemination of statistics including detailed statistical reports

• National statistical offices need to carry out household ICT surveys including individual access to the Internet*

• Government agency responsible for ICT should make indicators readily available and easy to find on a web site

• Improved dialogue between regulators, national statistical offices and international agencies to enhance comparability

* For the scope of this presentation. However business, education and government ICT surveys are also needed to measure impact in those sectors.