Colombia. With the entry into force of the ICT Modernization Law, the CRC will assume the regulatory functions of the National Television Authority, ANTV, and some of the ICT Ministry, which will allow it to evolve and become the sole regulator of network providers and internet, telephony, television and radio services, the postal service and audiovisual content.
In accordance with the provisions of the new Law, the CRC will be composed of two sessions, the Communications session composed of the Minister of Information and Communications Technologies (or his delegate) and four (4) commissioners and the Audiovisual Content session made up of three (3) commissioners.
"To establish the new structure of the entity we will have six (6) months, after the entry into force of the Law. The challenge is to establish a robust entity, with a technical team expert in ICT, postal and content issues, which will allow us to fulfill the new functions," explained Zoila Vargas Mesa, Executive Coordinator of the CRC, who assumes the direction of the Commission until the Commissioners of the Communications Commission Session are sworn in and the new executive director is elected.
Among the new functions that the CRC will perform, the regulation of audiovisual content stands out, which guarantees information pluralism from the protection and defense of the interests of viewers, as well as the regulation of radio and the Universal Postal Service, issues at the head of MinTIC until today.
In addition to regulating, the Commission will have the power to monitor and sanction those behaviors that affect information pluralism, the regime of open television disabilities and the rights of audiovisual consumers.
The CRC will continue to protect the rights of users of communications services and the postal sector, through the design of rules that promote competition in markets, prevent abuse of a dominant position and ensure the quality of services.
"Encouraging investment in the communications sector and closing the digital divide definitively are our biggest challenges as a single regulator." Carlos Lugo Silva, Expert Commissioner of the CRC, concluded.
