Colombia. Focused on modernizing the management model and updating the parameters of consideration for spectrum use, Colombia has established a new model in the provision of satellite services.
This was enshrined in Resolution 0376 of February 3, 2022, issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies, MinTIC. The new regulations will contribute to a greater development of connectivity throughout the national territory, especially in the most remote areas, and to an increase in investment.
"With this new regime we are contributing to the development of connectivity throughout the territory, to the extent that satellite solutions are highly efficient in terms of coverage, particularly in areas of difficult access. We expect a significant increase in the number of satellite Internet accesses in these regions, contributing to the closing of the digital divide," said ICT Minister Carmen Ligia Valderrama Rojas.
The new regulations foresee that in the medium term the investment of new actors will increase, as well as those established, and that these investments will translate into better conditions of provision of the service to users.
With the modernization of the satellite regime, an obsolete model for spectrum management associated with satellite services is left behind, offering incentives for investment since the consideration is reduced in some cases by about 80% compared to the current cost. This model was analyzed by the Office for Revenue Management of FUTIC and is viable.
The new regime corrects the situation that threatens the sustainability of the satellite ecosystem since the current model defines the consideration based on bandwidth, which inhibits stakeholders from expanding capacity since it becomes very expensive.
In resolution 0376 of February 3, 2022 "By which the requirements and the procedure for the granting of the permit for the use of the radio spectrum associated with satellite radiocommunication services are established, the consideration for said use is fixed, Resolution 106 of 2013 is repealed and some provisions of Resolution 290 of 2010 are modified".
The regulations were socialized with the sector in February 2021, which received about 103 comments, mostly in support of the proposal.
Additionally, two socializations were carried out, one with the operators and industry stakeholders, and the other with the National Planning Department.
The initiative includes the best recommendations from international organizations and modernizes the management of the spectrum associated with satellite services in such a way that the country is positioned as a benchmark in the region.
For Resolution 0376, click here.
