Roundup: Peru connectivity, Colombia 4G quality rules, US-Uruguay technology MOU

Connectivity law

Peru's transport and communications ministry will receive comments through April 29 on a supreme decree draft that would approve regulations of a connectivity promotion law.

The initiative promotes public telecoms services based on regulatory changes such as the identification of rural areas, the replacement of 55% of public use phones with new infrastructure that improves service access, and minimum fixed and mobile broadband speeds.

Telecoms program Pronatel will be allowed to create connectivity projects in 769 population centers.

Details are available here and comments may be submitted via an online form on the ministry's website or email info.dgprc@mtc.gob.pe.

Device block

Starting April 22, all cell phones reported stolen in Peru will be blocked from the network as part of the implementation of the third phase of mobile security registry Renteseg.

The system will scan daily for all cell phones with altered IMEI, or invalid or cloned code and automatically block them, regulator Osiptel reported.

In addition, it will become mandatory to register imported cell phones with Renteseg. Under current regulations, devices must be added to a list of valid cell phones. Starting July 22, any device that has not been registered will be blocked.

4G quality

Colombia's regulator CRC established a package of 4G quality measures.

Resolution 7363 establishes a progressive increase in quality operators must meet, setting differential objectives between municipalities, depending on their current quality of service and the probability of 5G services being deployed.

The target download speed for July 2024-June 2025 is 5Mbps, for July 2025-June 2026 5.6Mbps, 6.1Mbps in the following year and 9Mbps by 2029.

In addition, a tool to allow users to access and learn about mobile internet quality in regions, cities and municipalities will be implemented.

Other measures are aimed at strengthening the surveillance and control of service quality conditions.

MOU

The ministries of foreign affairs and industry, energy and mining of Uruguay and the US Department of Commerce and Department of State signed an MOU regarding critical and emerging technologies.

The countries will cooperate in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and biotechnology.

These activities are expected to be backed by US$2mn in cybersecurity and capacity-building initiatives.