“Internet for All” Helps Close Digital Divide Connecting 1.5 Million Peruvians in Rural Areas

After a year of the start of operations, Internet Para Todos (Internet For All) or IPT, a company created by Telefónica/Movistar, Facebook, IDB Invest and CAF—development bank of Latin America—, has met the challenge of connecting more than 1.5 million Peruvians from remote locations along the coast, in the mountains and in the jungle, providing access to adequate mobile internet.

Peru became a pioneer in implementing IPT, and the experience has been progressively shared with other Latin American countries. This initiative aims to connect more than 30,000 rural communities by 2021.

Noteworthy is that, while IPT is an initiative managed by CAF and its partners, other mobile operators are expected to join this infrastructure-sharing model to expand the reach of the service to additional rural areas of the country.

The digital world offers a range of opportunities to which all Peruvians have the right to access. Connectivity means change, and allows us to share positive stories, such as that of Andrea Cuba, a girl from the town of Moya, Huancavelica, who is now able to attend courses just like a student in Lima would; or that of Ana Aviles, principal of a school in Paruro, Cusco, who accesses digital platforms that unlock the potential of her students; or that of Segundo Iglesias in Cascas, La Libertad, who now has an online store for his “Don Manuelito” wine cellar.

Bringing connectivity to more Peruvians

One year after launching, IPT has established itself as a Rural Mobile Infrastructure Operator (IOMR) in Peru, using a wholesale model to offer all mobile operators in the market the possibility to lease their telecommunications infrastructure to provide their services and thus connect more Peruvians.

IPT is an opportunity to integrate all Peruvians into the digital age, which is particularly vital in this context. There must be a coordinated effort between different sectors to connect about 4.5 million Peruvians before the Bicentennial with adequate mobile internet. This must be a joint task of the public and private sectors, in an effort to achieve more inclusive connectivity, thus fostering development in a society with equality for all.

Closing the digital divide is critical to driving Latin America's economic and social development. At CAF, we support innovative initiatives such as Internet for All, not only to increase network coverage and speed, but also offer digital services in education, health care and financial inclusion, which will improve the quality of life of rural people, initially in Peru, and in the rest of the region in the medium term.