Colombia investing in AI, connectivity in regions

The call for internet service providers to participate in a project to bring fixed broadband to 37,205 homes in Colombia closed on Monday.

The ConectiVIDAd para Cambiar Vidas (Connectivity to Change Lives) of the ICT ministry plans to deploy internet services in the municipalities of Puerto Tejada, Santander de Quilichao and Villa Rica (Cauca), Maicao (La Guajira), La Unión (Nariño) and Buenaventura, Vijes and Andalucía (Valle of Cauca).

"We are promoting internet access at the national level as an essential public service, prioritizing populations with a high digital divide, in vulnerable situations and in remote areas, which promotes a more productive economy for the construction of a digital society," said ICT minister Mauricio Lizcano in a press release.

The initiative is based on an agreement with wholesale connectivity company Internexa to benefit 400,000 households in strata 1 and 2, connectivity communities and public educational institutions.

The publication of the draft documents of the second call for another 22 municipalities in Nariño, Cauca, Chocó, Urabá Antioqueño and La Guajira is expected this week.

More information is available at this link.

INVESTMENTS IN CALDAS

While touring Caldas, Lizcano announced investments of 64bn pesos (US$16.9mn) for the department.

Of these, 20bn pesos will be used to provide fiber optic connectivity and he announced new investments in artificial intelligence.

The goal is to connect 30,000 to 40,000 homes in the first phase.

In addition, six PotencIA Digital centers will be built, with a budget of 24bn pesos, in the six subregions of the department.

The PotencIA Digital centers are spaces to promote the use, training and development of artificial intelligence. Mintic plans a disbursement of 2tn pesos for the program.