The president of the National Communications Entity (ENACOM), Claudio Ambrosini, led the act “1,000 popular neighborhoods connected”made in the Buenos Aires party of Argentine Falklandswhere he held the scope of state policy “which broadens rights and expands communication for vulnerable sectors and isolated areas of Argentina.”
This is the “Program for the Development of Infrastructure for Internet Destined to Villas and Settlements Registered in the National Registry of Popular Neighborhoods in the Process of Urban Integration (RENABAP)”, which, three years after its creation, reached 1,211 popular neighborhoods across the country through 83 selected projects, with total available funding of $12 billion.
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The growing demand and need on the part of the most neglected sectors of Argentina, which were deepened by the pandemic, represents the need to implement long-term public and federal policies.
“The use of the connectivity infrastructure is necessary for popular neighborhoods and their inhabitants, since according to the access to new rights through essential services that the national State defined as a priority to guarantee throughout Argentina,” said ENACOM in a release.
At the beginning of the event, Ambrosini thanked the mayors for the work they carry out in each of their towns and highlighted ENACOM’s effort to create 20 connectivity programs, including the one for popular neighborhoods, which has connected almost 2 million people.
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“We really did this because we believe in a principle, which is to start with those who have less to reach everyone. So from that moment we began to work on the development of this great program that is the popular neighborhoods. And today, to say that almost 2 million people in poor neighborhoods are connected and have high-quality Internet for us is a source of pride; for us, for this government, for this work team, for the mayors, the fighters who insist that things improve. It drives us every day to work a little harder to fulfill what we believe, which is to be able to connect the unconnected”, ensure the owner of the organization.
For his part, Juan Manuel Cheppi thought that “1,000 connected popular neighborhoods clearly have the component of human talent and human resources that characterize us today and make us very competitive in the world and in the region. This allows us to export by $7 billion, that have an impact on the State arcades thanks to the benefits of connectivity”.
In addition, he added: “And to tell you that today many of those enrolled in ‘Argentina Program 4.0’ are in these popular neighborhoods and can study and train thanks to this ENACOM policy, to bring Internet and a good connection to all places where the market may not it arrives, and there is the State”.
Finally, Noelia Correa highlighted the presence of the State where it is most needed and stressed: “These programs that bring connectivity to neighborhoods are a little seed that adds to the great work that has been done in terms of bringing public policies closer to neighbors to get ahead.”
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“Teamwork from the national, provincial and municipal governments is important to be present through public works. We are here to work for and for the citizens of each municipality, to bring not only tools, but work that is done with the heart, because everyone has the right to feel included. It is important not to lose the sense of why we are in the positions that we occupy, always thinking of the neighbor and the neighbor”, concluded Correa.
In June 2020, ENACOM created said program, with the aim of expanding Internet access in vulnerable areas and with geographical impediments, which are normally not reached by private providers.
Along the same lines, the agency’s authorities propose connecting schools, health centers and security posts, which they consider essential to improve the quality of life, through the 100% financing of the works and the necessary equipment and accessories to ensure high-speed connections.
- So far, 252 schools, 141 health centers and hospitals, and 83 security posts have been connected.
The project for rural areas
At the same time, ENACOM created a program to reach public institutions in rural areas with satellite Internet so that they can carry out telephone and Internet coverage to towns that did not have this service.
It is worth mentioning that the entity finances 100% of the 4G antennas in towns with up to 500 inhabitants, which are not included in the areas to which private companies are obliged to invest and provide services, through the “Connectivity Program in Adverse and Neglected Areas, Rural Localities and Indigenous Communities”.
On the other hand, the Universal Service is implemented through programs determined by the ENACOM authority, whose assigned funds reach the beneficiaries in the form of Non-Reimbursable Contributions (ANR) or bonusestaking into account the characteristics and scope of their projects.
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During the last three years, the agency created connectivity programs with various characteristics, funds, beneficiaries, and purposes, in order to reach all sectors and regions of the country.
Among them, it is possible to mention three general types of objectives: programs for the development of Internet access networks, programs for the development of mobile communications service networks, and programs focused on specific needs.
- Since the beginning of 2020, ENACOM has created more than 20 connectivity programs to provide Internet access for the first time to more than 5,700,000 Argentines.
Consolidated investment data through the Universal Service Trust Fund (FFSU):
- Number of new programs: 20
- Inhabitants reached: 5,700,174
- Number of projects approved: 306
- localities benefited: 820
- Total amount invested: $31,672,873,380.83
- Total amount executed: $10,983,201,191
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