Chile. Subtel announced the reactivation of the coordination table for the removal of disused cables in the Region of Arica and Parinacota. The instance, initiated in 2018 and interrupted due to the pandemic, has allowed to clean more than 26.2 kilometers of aerial debris in the commune of Arica.
The reinstatement of the table was announced by the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt, the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Francisco Moreno, and the Presidential Delegate, Roberto Erpel, during a debris removal activity in the center of the regional capital. The work was carried out by crews from five telecommunications companies that are part of this intersectoral table: VTR, Claro, Gtd, Entel and Movistar.
"The cleaning of disused wiring is something very significant because it directly improves the appearance of neighborhoods, directly influencing the quality of life of thousands of families. For this reason, the removal of disused cables is a priority for this Ministry. Aerial street cleaning means debris-free spaces, more pleasant environments and at the same time safer," said Minister Hutt.
For his part, Undersecretary Moreno said, "we value this type of activities that we are already carrying out in different cities of our country, this is the result of a joint work through intersectoral tables with companies, the Regional Ministerial Secretariats of Transport and Telecommunications and the municipalities, therefore, we highlight the presence of Mayor Gerardo Espíndola. This type of action allows us to take charge of a complex reality, such as air pollution, these hundreds of thousands of kilometers of cables that not only disfigure cities, but also constitute a danger to pedestrians. We take care of this situation through a law that is already approved in Congress and that is just now in the last stage for the Comptroller to take reason of this regulation, which seeks that telecommunications companies are responsible for the deployments of different cables, so, tomorrow, after the declaration that a cable that is in disuse and is not removed by the company, you will be given a period of 5 months to do so. Once the period has expired, it is the municipality that will have the power to remove those cables and to charge that cost to the company in question. From the SUBTEL and the MTT we are especially committed to making this an effective tool for mayors, especially for the downtown areas and the historic centers of each of the regional capitals".
Different members of the disused cable removal table that operates in the Arica Region participated in the activity. Among them, the seremi of Energy, Leonel Ramírez, and the regional director of the Superintendence of Electricity and Fuels, Jorge Sandoval, stand out.
