CAF participates in the commemorating acts of the Telecommunications World Day

As a result of the celebration of the Telecommunications Day, the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and the Sociedad de la Información (Setsi) (information Association) participated in the working session "Broadband for sustainable development", organized by the Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación (COIT) (Official Association of Telecommunications Engineers). Gonzalo de Castro, Deputy Director at CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, presented the report Toward the digital transformation of Latin America, developed jointly with Isdefe. 

The publication deals with the situation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in CAF's region of influence. According to the conclusions, Latin America is lacking communication networks to guarantee universal access to internet. "The penetration of fixed broadband, for example, is of 8 individuals with access per 100 inhabitants, and there is a fast growth of mobile broadband in most Latin American countries". 

In order to increase its use, and taking into account the positive impact that broadband has on the growth of a country, CAF has prepared an agenda of actions in Latin America to expand the communication infrastructures to ensure a greater impact on the education, health, government, and productive sector indicators. 

With respect to infrastructure, the action framework is focused on four specific strategic areas: the development of national and inter-regional trunk networks and submarine cables; the development of fixed and mobile broadband access networks; transition to digital land television (TDT, for its acronym in Spanish); and improvement of the institutional frameworks for the ICT sector. 

One of the greatest efforts has been the development of a series of digital inclusion plans that seek to promote the development of high speed communication networks together with better access for the population. In Ecuador, tools were recommended to allow for the mass use of broadband, specially, policies aimed at allowing more accessible internet rates. In Peru, a Digital Inclusion Plan was recommended, promoting public-private collaboration to achieve an optimal social inclusion route. In addition, CAF supported the implementation of the Argentina Conectada (Connected Argentina) national plan, with loans for the manufacturing of a fleet of three satellites which will take broadband communications to the most remote areas of the country. 

The study Hacia la transformacion digital de America Latina (Toward the digital transformation of Latin America) shows that CAF is promoting the design of broadband projects for low income rural and urban populations. Thus, a connectivity pilot program is being developed in Bolivia, by means of new wireless technologies. To promote the development of mobile internet in the region and competition in mobile markets, CAF has invested in wireless communication companies in Colombia and Brazil.  

Victor Calvo-Sotelo, State Secretary of Telecommunications and the Sociedad de la Información (Information Association), highlighted the role that connectivity has in society, and insisted on the need to create universal access to broadband to end the digital gap.