Ready to become law: Bill establishing Internet as a public service approved with a large majority

This is a machine translation of Subtel's press release

Valparaíso, April 16, 2024.- After a long process, the Chamber of Deputies approved with a large majority the project that establishes the Internet as a public service. This means that once the law - promoted during the second government of former President Michelle Bachelet - is promulgated and the associated regulations are approved, the provision of internet can be controlled in the same way as mobile telephony, while at the same time A series of tools will be enabled to bridge the digital divide.

"We are very proud that we have finally approved the Internet law as a public service. A law that takes care of this country's need to shorten the digital divide, that today no one can be left without access to the Internet In the pandemic we discovered very strongly the importance, how hard it is for people who do not have good digital connectivity, how that means being left out of accessibility to services, connectivity that is essential today in this modern life. It is so serious. Not having Internet services on a certain day is like maybe having my electricity cut off and my water being cut off. Or maybe today it is as unthinkable for many of us not to have access to the Internet as not having access to the streets. And that is why this bill that today has been approved by the Chamber of Deputies, last week by the Senate and that is going to be the law of the Republic, makes us so happy," said the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications. , Juan Carlos Muñoz.

In turn, the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Claudio Araya, said that, “today we took a big step in the recognition of rights in a society that is increasingly digital. When this project is enacted and all the respective regulations are approved, families in our country will receive a clear and timely response about the time it will take to access services. There is no quota or there is no technical feasibility will not be a response from companies when it comes to reaching the different areas of our country with fixed Internet. “We are moving forward with more digital connectivity throughout the national territory, equitably and overcoming access gaps.”

Some of the benefits that are enabled with the approval of the law revolve around the deepening of the obligation of companies to provide digital connectivity services in all places where they have coverage, eliminating the concept of red zones as a limitation to the time to arrive with services to certain areas of the country. On the other hand, the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications will see its supervisory work strengthened and with this, it will be able to increase sanctions and fines for legal and regulatory non-compliance by telecommunications companies; in addition to allowing the creation of mechanisms to subsidize demand and thus help families afford home Internet plans.