In Peru, Internet Strengthen Civil Society.

• Author: Barreto, Emmanuel

"Independent of income levels, more people have been able to enjoy access to what had previously been perceived as a status symbol. RCP has contributed to strengthening civil society."

Red Cientifica Peruana (RCP -- Peruvian scientific network) is a non-profit organization set up in 1991 to develop the Internet in Peru. RCP works in partnership with 43 institutions. As the first Internet service provider in Peru, RCP provided computer training to over 50,000 people in Internet cafes, each with 20 personal computers. Based on a cooperative model, RCP established 680 public Internet cafes across the country, providing Internet access at low cost to both urban and rural communities. RCP holds around 50% of the Internet market in Peru. Its sales in 1999 were US$ 6 million.

During its e-commerce brainstorming meeting (July 2000), ITC's Emmanuel Barreto, an Internet and cybercafe specialist, interviewed RCP chief executive officer Jose Soriano.

Q. What does the Internet mean to you?

A. The Internet is a new paradigm, and we have based 100% of our business upon it. As a company, RCP set out to fill telecommunications and information gaps. Using new technologies, the aim was to provide access in areas of the country where people were least served. We moved quickly from telephony to the Internet, which became the centre of our strategy in the early stages of our growth.

Q. How does RCP use the Internet?

A. We started by looking at Peru's social and economic situation. We could not draw from the predominant model that is used for Internet development and Internet cultural literacy. In most developed countries, the Internet began in universities, then became commercialized, and gradually extended its reach into society. In Peru, the Internet started being used first among intellectuals and well-to-do individuals. RCP's approach to building Internet customers was bottom-up: it focused on the development of Internet cafes and community centres, in order to attract and be of use to the population at large.

The first attempt was based on leased lines from universities, not dial-up, because of a lack of telecommunications infrastructure. We wanted to be able to reach all Peruvians, both inside and outside Peru. Leasing was better suited for low price and income levels. However, the approach had its drawbacks, and RCP eventually decided to use dial-up. The lack of telephones and computers was a constraint, so we had the idea of setting up the Internet...