South American universities are set to join the internet learning community through a pan-American project piloted by telecoms venture Global One.
Connection pricing has been prohibitive for many institutions and individuals in the region but the venture, jointly managed by Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Sprint, is using latest connectivity technologies to reduce cost of entry.
The cable and satellite service provides high-quality internet access to universities in a cost-
effective structure. Pilot institutions have used the internet-based technologies to provide virtual learning and library access as well as internet connectivity for students and staff.
Institutions taking part in the pilot included the Universidad Francisco Gavidia of El Salvador, the Escuela Agricola Panamericana in Honduras, the Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnologia in Panama and the private Universidad Tecnologica Centroamericana.