The LINCOS program was initiated in late 1998 as a joint initiative between the Costa Rican Foundation for Sustainable Development, the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Costa Rican Institute of Technology. LINCOS concentrated its efforts in expanding the opportunities for community development by priorizing access and utilization of information and communication technologies, mainly in isolated and rural communities.

The need to access information and communication technologies is worldwide accepted as a condition for development. Notwithstanding, a techno centric view has proven not to meet the actual needs of the communities. In fact there is a need to enrich the vision with appropriate, creative and intelligent methodologies for the use of technologies to enhance sustainable developed rural communities.

LINCOS, that emerged as a not-for-profit leading strategy for technology-based community development has continued to encourage activities that allow a constant re-thinking of concepts, methodologies, and tools. It has developed a conceptual and practical model that, with a relatively low cost, has been able to enhance communities to promote their developmental status thanks to the introduction of technological tools in various activities. Given the results obtained so far, LINCOS is proud to launch a second generation, a new concept of sustainable communities where education and community development become the main axis and the core element.

The new concept around LINCOS is focused on sustainable development, innovation, creativity and cultural identity, using education and technology as the primary tools to achieve enduring results. LINCOS, Towards Sustainable Communities consists in a package of conceptual and technological services. Each community is free to choose and use the services and tools that better suits its particular needs. LINCOS, Second Generation is aimed at stimulating new community and individual needs and attitudes in such a way that persons within the community become true agents for change, thus contributing to a genuine process of personal and community development.

LINCOS is expected to become a different project in each community. The diversity of applications, services and strategies will depend on the results of a comprehensive in-site analysis of potential capabilities of each community. The main strength of LINCOS is to facilitate the process of adaptation inside the community. It is expected that each project will require a terrestrial link, or well a microwave digital network or satellite communication devices, depending of each site.