Digital communities: a comparative study of municipal wireless communication projects

• Grant number: 07/04171-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: January 07, 2008
• End date: June 06, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Communications
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Botelho Josgrilberg
• Grantee: Fabio Botelho Josgrilberg
• Host Investigator: Robin Mansell
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Comunicação Multimídia. Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (UMESP). Instituto Metodista de Ensino Superior (IMS). São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of London, England

Abstract

The presence of wireless Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in the city opens many possibilities to overcome the digital divide. Within different regions around the world, municipal governments decided to invest in wireless communications networks, motivated by the need of local development, self-consciousness of its role as a basic infra-structure provider, and also due to the private sector incapacity to provide affordable solutions for the most part of the population. Conversely there is the argument that the government’s condition as access providers may inhibit private investment, competition, job creation in the sector, development of new local businesses or even communitarian projects. Given the debate over the expansion of wireless technologies within the urban space, this research aims at developing a comparative study of municipal wireless networks projects in developed and developing countries. (AU)