Chile. Greater tools to guarantee digital connectivity as a basic right for all its inhabitants, as enacted in a new Law sanctioned in Chile.
The Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz, and the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Claudio Araya, highlighted the publication and entry into force of the Internet as a Public Service Law, approved in Congress on April 15.
With the presence of different authorities such as parliamentarians, local authorities, industry representatives and social leaders, the different scopes of this Law were addressed, which will provide the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications with greater tools to supervise telecommunications services, but, above all, to guarantee access to digital connectivity as this is a basic service. such as drinking water and electricity. In this way, Subtel will be enabled to generate a demand subsidy mechanism and support the most vulnerable families to pay the Internet bill.
For the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz, "this is a law that recognizes that today the Internet is no longer a service that is rather sumptuary, luxurious, that some could have it and others could not. Today we understand the Internet as a service that is fundamental, a service that opens doors for modern life, that without the Internet it is really difficult to access many services that are quite basic."
For his part, Claudio Araya, Undersecretary of Telecommunications, pointed out that "To think today, in a day-to-day life without Internet, is to think of a present without opportunities or tools that improve people's quality of life. In this sense, the greatest benefit of this Law is that it modifies the way we understand the role that digital connectivity occupies in our lives and provides us with the necessary tools to guarantee its access to all citizens. It is the biggest transformation that has been made to the General Telecommunications Law and we are proud that as a Government we are taking concrete steps to ensure the digital inclusion of all society."
Some of the benefits that will be enabled once the regulations contained in the Law are approved, are:
- Deepening the obligation for companies to provide digital connectivity services in all places where they have coverage, eliminating the concept of red zones as a limitation when it comes to reaching certain areas of the country with services.
- Strengthening the supervisory work of the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications, increasing sanctions and fines for legal and regulatory breaches by telecommunications companies.
- Creation of mechanisms to grant subsidies to demand and thus help families to pay for home Internet plans.
