Is mobile telephony more affordable today? A methodological note on the comparison of the value of service baskets between 2006 and 2009

Spanish version available in IDRC Digital Library: ¿Es más asequible hoy la telefonía móvil? Una nota metodológica sobre la comparación del valor de las canastas de servicios entre 2006 y 2009 ; The study uses an economic model to compare service prices and providers in mobile telephony and telecommunications services in five Latin American countries. Results of the study draw attention to two issues that a comparison of tariffs should address. Firstly, provide as much detail as possible about the methodology being used to make comparisons over time. Secondly, due to rapid technical changes in telecommunications, it is advisable to take as a basis for comparison the latest “basket of services,” using, for example, the Paasche methodology, or the Fisher index, which uses both the Paasche and Laspeyres indices.