Average digitalization reached 35.12 points in 2012

In 2012, the Latin American digitalization average reached 35.12 points, with an average annual growth rate of 7.55%, as stated in the publication "La infraestructura en el desarrollo integral de América Latina. Tendencias y novedades en la infraestructura de la región (IDeAL 2013)" (Infrastructure in the comprehensive development of Latin America) Trends and news in the region's infrastructure (IDeAL 2013).       

Two Southern countries in the region were the ones which advanced the most in the telecommunications sector. In the area of digitalization, the annual growth rate in Uruguay reached 13.93%, making it the second most digitalized nation, followed by Chile, which started to stand out in this area in 2009. 

The digitalization index is a compound indicator that measures not only the development and adoption of information technologies and communication, but also the use in terms of the adoption of applications and services (electronic trade, electronic government, social networks, etc). 

In this regard, the increase of investment in the sector, the improvement in the quality of services, and greater access to technologies, placed Uruguay and Chile as the two countries that stand out the most in the area of digitalization. The growth rate reached 13.93% and 9.36% respectively. 

This actions allowed, among other things, to extend the optic fiber for most of users of wide band, and generate the infrastructure necessary for transmission, which is necessary to improve digitalization and quality of services, resulting in greater  download speeds both in Uruguay and in Chile.