THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: ICT DEVELOPMENT INDICES IN MEXICO

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the manufacturing sector enables to reduce production, management and marketing costs, allowing achieve higher levels of competitiveness. In the social area, ICTs are tools of inclusion improving the provision of education, health and government services, as well as expanding its coverage area of these services. To achieve these benefits it is required a proper incorporation and adaptation of ICTs in the social area, as well as, the development of required ICT services, properly. In this work, we analyze the role of the digital divide in the information society, as ground for social exclusion in the use of ICT in Mexico. Afterwards, the behavior of the digital divide is analyzed, with its different dimensions through time, also describing the penetration and development levels of ICT. Moreover, the case of study of university students enrolled in Information Technology careers is discussed in order to determine the existence of a digital divide and its parameters. Finally, a diagnosis about the growth of the Internet and mobile telephony services in Mexico is carried out, considering the prevailing world economic situation.