People Building Own Cellular Networks in Mexico

When cellular service is non-existent, most people just complain or call their carrier to see what the problem is. Residents in San Juan Yaee, Mexico, have been a little more resourceful since there’s a lack of coverage in their area. Raúl Hernández Santiago welded together a 4-meter (~13-foot) tower out of scraps of metal, and plans to use it as the backbone of Yaee’s first cellular network. Two antennas from Canadian company, NuRAN, will help bring service to the area. As soon as Hernández and his team finish installing the tower, 500 residents in the town will be able to make calls from their cell phones for the first time. By the end of the year, the plan is to have six more tower installed across the state of Oaxaca, bringing the total to nine. The major Mexican telecoms have yet to expand into the rural area, which is why Peter Bloom, founder of telecommunications non-profit, Rhizomatica, has embarked on the plan to bring cellular service to the area. No zoning, no moaning.