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Internet Access and Use in Urban Guatemala

Internet penetration is quite low in Guatemala. The International Telecommunication Union estimates that there are only 14.3 internet users per 100 inhabitants. Regionally, this is on par with Honduras but well below the user levels of Costa Rica and Panama, with 32 users and 27 users per 100 inhabitants respectively.

Telecommunication infrastructure (cable, internet, telephony) has improved since market liberalization in 1996, but construction has been mainly in urban areas. For most rural areas, telecommunications remains antiquated and inadequate. As the AudienceScapes 2009 survey revealed, even in urban areas only 16 percent have household access to the internet.

Where the private sector has failed to extend services into rural areas, the Guatemalan government in cooperation with the World Bank has sought to extend access to the internet. As a multi-million dollar subcomponent of the “Project to Support the Rural Economic Development Program for Guatemala,” the Guatemalan government will identify priority rural areas where the private sector has not provided or built infrastructure.

Prior to the implementation of the project, a study conducted by the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid revealed that only 43 out of Guatemala’s 331 municipalities have access to broadband internet. This objective of this partnership with the World Bank is to construct network o f 100 internet points of presence (Internet POPS) with small telecentres of up to five personal computers in 100 rural municipalities in the eight departments or provinces covered by the rural development program. The internet POPs would enable public entities, NGOs, businesses (including commercial telecentres or cyber-cafes) and individuals to connect to the internet at rates comparable with the costs of connecting to the web in Guatemala City. The projected end date for this rural development program is 2013.

The construction of these telecentres reflects the importance of internet or cyber cafés as web access points for those who cannot afford home access. This is true even for urban Guatemalans. Internet cafés are the most important internet access points for those with a low or middle-income, whereas high-income users have greater access to the internet from work, home and via their mobile phone.

Chart 1

Education level seems to have a greater impact on whether an individual is an internet user in urban Guatemala. Interestingly, while only 17 percent of low-income urban Guatemalans are internet users they encompass just over a third of all users. The reason being, that of these low-income internet users, 79 percent have at least a secondary education reinforcing the importance of secondary education in the development of e-skills. In fact, the number of internet users who have either no formal education or a primary education failed to reach the statistical threshold required to analyze their internet activities.

Chart 2

As in much of Latin America young adults (16-29) are the most prominent internet users. Forty-four percent of young adults in our survey can be classified as an internet user (monthly use). Whereas in the next largest user group, those 30-44, only 27 percent are internet users. Young adults users also are much more likely to conduct a variety of activities online, especially “Web 2.0” activities. Women and men are equally as likely to conduct these activities but men are more likely to play games, watch videos, or download music.

Chart 3

The number of internet users engaging in social networking and visiting blogs seemsw to be growing in strength, with over half of all web users saying they regularly visit these sites. In fact, around 38 percent of users read a blog at least weekly. In addition, almost a quarter of all internet users visit social networking sites on a daily basis.

The most popular social networking site is Hi5, followed by Facebook. A majority of those conducting “Web 2.0” activities possess some form of higher education.

Chart 4

The most popular websites among web users tend to be search engines and email providers such as Google, Gmail, MSN, or Hotmail. The most popular domestic websites are run by local media outlets, including www.nuestrodiario.com.gt, www.prensalibre.com and www.noti7.com.gt. The percentage of web users who visit these websites tends to increase with income and educational attainment levels.

Chart 5