Martín Paredes

This paper was presented for the consideration of Digital El Paso on December 6, 2007

The objective of this proposed project is to become the digital interface between governmental bodies and the constituency they serve.

Introduction

The expressed mission of Digital El Paso is to narrow the digital divide in our community through access and inclusion. By most measures Digital El Paso’s pilot program in the downtown area has been successful. The model can and should be extended by the addition of a third leg to the project. Digital El Paso currently has two legs, Access and Inclusion. The WiFi part of the project is the component that provides access to broadband internet for the community. The other component, the inclusion is led by the Orion project which provides computers for access to the digital world. Digital El Paso’s unique model is based on two unique components; a test and deploy model and a public/private partnership.

An e-El Paso Initiative Plan - Leveraging the Internet for a vibrant and economically prosperous borderplex was written in June 2001.

Abstract

El Paso and Cd. Juárez currently sit on the crossroads of economic prosperity in the gold rush of the 21st century. The Internet has a created a mechanism whereby the borderplex can become the next “Silicon Valley” of the world’s e-commerce rush. With the inherent infrastructure in labor and resources the border region offers, the establishment of e-commerce development and implementation will benefit the region for decades to come. By implementing this initiative as a team, both El Paso and Cd. Juárez would lead the way to global e-trading.

This white paper presents a preliminary concept of how the communities can leverage the Internet as a tool for economic prosperity of the border region, specifically El Paso, Texas and Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, México.