Colombia. After participating in the RITEL Fair, which gave a very good omen of what was coming for the development of the telecommunications sector, I received this press release directly from the CRC, Communications Regulation Commission:
"Due to the economic situation, the Ritel is suspended
Bogotá D.C., September 8, 2015
The current global economic situation that has had an impact on the country led the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) to suspend the effects of the resolution by which the Technical Regulation for Internal Telecommunications Networks (RITEL) was issued.
The analyses carried out in recent weeks showed that the Colombian economy is going through a period of macroeconomic adjustment due to the low growth in international external demand and the fall in the price of oil.
Additionally, it was considered that the National Government to mitigate the economic slowdown implements programs such as the Plan to Boost Productivity and Employment (PIPE), where the construction sector plays a fundamental role, and whose effects could be seen in a period of around two years.
In this regard, it was determined that RITEL, through which measures are established for the design, construction and commissioning of telecommunications networks in horizontally owned properties, will enter into force again as of September 8, 2017."
The decision in my opinion is very questionable since it gives a very strong setback to the national companies that saw in the norm the possibility of expanding their markets to a sector of economic development, such as construction companies, and stopped the entry of many others from abroad that has its sights on such an important sector, I must add that the unions that represent them do their job very well, the lobby to postpone the norm must have been something very strong, the rights of these economic groups prevailed over the right of citizens to freely choose who should provide them with telecommunications services, it will dawn and we will see if in 2017 they tell us that the norm is already outdated, that does not apply and that must postpone it for another two years, while they do the studies to update it, it will dawn and we will see.
Text written for TVyVideo by Luis Pinto, telecommunications consultant.
