A Tiny Mexican Village Creates its Own Wireless Network

A Tiny Mexican Village Creates its Own Wireless Network

After being ignored for wireless service by a company owned by the world's richest man Carlos Slim, a tiny Mexican village, Villa Talea de Castro has developed its own mobile network with international connections.

The local service costs 15 pesos ($1.2) per month which is 13 times cheaper than what’s available to residents who reside in Mexico City with access to larger carriers. The carrier is called Red Celular de Talea and was a joint initiative through residents and a local University, AFP explained, and appears to operate with a single antenna on the roof of a local building. Residents can even place international calls, including to the United States, for low rates that cost a few cents each minute, though those use VoIP technology over the Internet.

Red Celular de Talea already has 600 customers and has plans to expand its service to other villages with similar desires for a more connected future.

The village of Villa Talea de Castro, dotted with small pink and yellow homes, has a population of 2,500 indigenous people. Tucked away in a lush forest in the southern state of Oaxaca, it was not seen as a profitable market for companies such as Slim's America Movil. The company wanted at least 10,000 subscribers to bring the village into its mobile coverage, AFP said.

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