The Dot-Com El Dorado

This past Christmas in Belize, Ann Rose, a New York filmmaker, was trying to reach her mother in Florida. International phone connections were few and poor, so she turned to Mike's Email, Internet and Book Swap on Caye Caulker Island where the Internet connection was quick and clear.

This is just one example of how the Internet in Latin America is leapfrogging the established telecom infrastructure, and why for many investors, the region holds the allure of dot-com El Dorado.

"This is the right time to come in" to the Latin American Internet game, says Julio Marquez, managing director of Global Emerging Markets. "The time was even a few months ago when El Sitio(LCTO Quote) launched." ...