The World Bank logo
VideoAugust 25, 2014

Rural Telecommunications in Nicaragua Go Long Distance

For many people, landline phones are part of the growing technology museum of the last century, but for several communities in rural Nicaragua, they are a novelty.Before the telephone lines were installed, residents of villages such as San Gerónimo, near the border with Honduras, were forced to travel up to 20 kilometers or climb mountains with an old cellphone in search of a signal.Now the most isolated communities are connected to the outside world and to the rest of the country. With support from the World Bank, the Nicaraguan telecommunications company, Telcor, installed more than 600 public landline telephones, 37 cellphone stations with expanded coverage and more than 200 internet points and telecenters.This video shows the stories behind these figures.