Argentina. Through the Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 690/2020, the Presidency of Argentina established that mobile and fixed telephony, Internet and cable TV services are essential public services and suspended tariff increases until December, within the framework of the emergency generated by Covid-19.
The DNU guarantees the human right to access to ICTs and communication through any of its platforms, which requires the establishment of rules by the State to ensure equitable, fair and reasonably priced access. Likewise, the principle of competition is protected, so it seeks to generate efficiency and economic profitability for companies, as well as to benefit the public interest, trying to offer the user a greater variety of services and lower prices.
The prices of the essential and strategic public services of ICT in competition, those provided according to the Universal Service and those that are determined for reasons of public interest will be regulated by ENACOM, which must establish in the regulations the mandatory universal basic benefit that will correspond to provide companies under conditions of equality.
In turn, investments and profitability of those who provide the service in one place are encouraged, guaranteeing fair competition. In turn, in order to ensure a competitive model adjusted to the principle of social solidarity, it is sought that these essential services reach the sectors of greatest vulnerability.
On the other hand, the DNU suspends, within the framework of the COVID-19 health emergency, any increase or modification of prices established or announced from July 31 to December 31, 2020 by ICT licensees, including subscription broadcasting services by physical or radio link and those corresponding to the fixed or mobile telephony service, in any of its modalities, and will apply to satellite television services by subscription.
This dictate is established within the special context of the pandemic, in which the need arises for all social sectors to have access to connectivity to exercise their rights to education, health, work and culture.
