The Territorial Organization Plan (POT) requires modifications that place connectivity as the main aspect for the digital development of Bogotá

Asiet , Asomóvil and Andesco statement

(Machine translation)

Bogotá DC, Thursday, September 02, 2021- The Territorial Organization Plan (POT) presents a unique opportunity to outline the next 12 years of the city of Bogotá and must have a clear and precise roadmap to bet on digital development . Connectivity, in this sense, must be a key and essential element because it ensures better living conditions, education, health and employment for the citizens of Bogota.

The deployment of telecommunications infrastructure is the key element to increase the connectivity of the city. Therefore, it is important that the POT has rules that consider the technical needs that are required for the deployment to be effective and for connectivity to be possible. It is important to understand that the various uses that are given to public space to install antennas, as well as the different types of antennas, towers and other elements necessary for the exercise of infrastructure deployment, respond to technical elements, which if unknown impact on the transmitted signal and its quality and scope. This is why the POT should not neglect these needs or limit the spaces or the ways in which the deployment is carried out. In the same way, it is essential that the permits granted for the use of the space respond to effective procedures to avoid delays in deployment. In other words, imposing artificial barriers to the deployment of infrastructure inevitably results in access barriers for users of telecommunications services.

In this sense, the pandemic has demonstrated not only the resilience of the sector, which continued to invest even with high levels of delinquencies and strong peaks in demand, but the importance of being connected to give continuity to essential activities such as education, health, work and relations with governments. In Bogotá, 1 in 3 homes does not have access to fixed internet and when the pandemic began, 4 out of 10 students did not have access to devices and connectivity.

Smart cities rely on technology and connectivity to be more productive, sustainable and innovative. The deployment of infrastructure is key to reaching the levels expected for the city, however in Bogotá there is less than one antenna for every 1,600 inhabitants, numbers well below the regional average.

To promote the development of the city, it is suggested:

• Recognize that the Internet is an essential public service that guarantees fundamental rights. As such, policies should be adopted that encourage the provision of this service, rather than establishing barriers that limit citizen access.
  
  
• Understand that telecommunications services, due to their nature as public services, do not take advantage of public space, but rather use it or intervene like other public services to ensure the provision of the service in a universal manner. Therefore, several proposals that are legally and economically unfeasible must be reassessed. Today there are tax collection claims for the use of the city's infrastructure that must be reviewed if connectivity levels are to be achieved at the level of the most developed countries. Infrastructure deployment should be encouraged, since telecommunications networks are the way to bring connectivity to the unconnected.
  
  
• Understand that the establishment of rules for deployment, such as the restriction of the installation of infrastructure on platforms of a certain size, the obligation to install antennas in only private properties in certain areas, obligations of mimicry and subterraneanization, among others, represent barriers that affect the proper exercise of infrastructure deployment and with it the provision of services for users.
  
  
• Any additional cost or barrier to deployment undermines the accessibility of the inhabitants and the digitization of Bogotá. It is recommended to establish agile and simple conditions for the regularization of the existing infrastructure, with reasonable terms of not less than 5 years.

The technical nature that the plan must have is evident in the recommendations issued by the   Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) , based on that presented by the Bogotá Mayor's Office before the District Territorial Planning Council (CPTD). The regulatory body and various organizations in the sector have issued proposals to improve the POT with the aim of contributing to the future digital development of the city.

For Maryleana Méndez, Secretary General of ASIET, “it is important to highlight that in order to reach the required levels of connectivity by citizens, the expansion of the telecommunications infrastructure is needed; Being connected is essential, because without connectivity there is no digitization, digitization is essential both for economic reactivation, as well as for improving productivity and the continuity of daily activities that have migrated to the virtual world. The digital transformation requires to be implemented in an inclusive, affordable and quality way, and therefore it should be considered as the basis of the POT that is being treated today in Bogotá to improve the quality of life of its citizens and bet on the integral development of the city " .

On the other hand, Samuel Hoyos, President of Asomóvil, affirms that: “the telecommunications industry is tackling a huge financing challenge to bring connectivity to all unserved and rural areas, and to advance in the technological upgrading of its networks. But these efforts cannot be done by providers alone: they need the city's infrastructure to support and facilitate the deployment required by a Bogotá Smart City, which according to the Small Cell Forum will require 3 times the number of antennas we have today, to connect smart systems that will facilitate the management of the city and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. If we really want the capital to improve its national and international competitiveness, it must attract investments aimed at connectivity, and avoid technical restrictions and unnecessary costs that only take us away from that objective ”.

“The Territorial Ordering Plan must recognize the deficiency in the communications infrastructure caused by, among others, the economic, administrative and regulatory asymmetries in the deployment of said infrastructure. The fundamental axes around which the Territorial Organization Plan is proposed and should revolve are: Promotion of access to new technologies towards digital transformation; Equitable treatment of telecommunications compared to other public and essential services; Elimination of regulatory restrictions on deployment and; Simplification and flexibility of permit and regularization procedures. This is a golden opportunity for Bogotá, to continue on its path of becoming a smart city. If the POT is the navigation chart, we must consider that we cannot navigate without connectivity, let us not let the train of modernity leave us, ”said Camilo Sánchez, President of the National Association of Public Services and Communications - Andesco.

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About ASIET

The Inter-American Association of Telecommunications Companies is made up of public and private companies in the telecommunications sector that operate in the countries of the American continent. ASIET works for the development of telecommunications and the advancement of digital transformation in the region through public-private dialogue, promoting the growth of the industry and favoring the exchange of knowledge and good international practices.

Visit our page at:   www.asiet.lat

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About Asomovil

It is the Association of the Mobile Industry of Colombia, a non-profit entity that brings together the three most important mobile operators in the country: Claro, Tigo Une and Movistar. Its mission is to promote the development of the telecommunications industry to collaborate with the progress of the country and therefore its interest in that the POTs are raised in accordance with the real needs of Colombians. To know in detail the proposals of ASIET, Andesco and Asomóvil visit: www.asomovil.org

About Andesco

It is a non-profit trade association that represents the interests of the affiliated companies of domiciliary public services and communications, through participation in the construction of public policies, the promotion of best practices and the generation of information of interest that helps growth sustainable development of the sector and the reduction of social gaps, promoting care for the environment.

Andesco brings together the most important companies of:

• ● Aqueduct, Sewerage
• ● Cleaning and Waste Management
• ● Electric Power
• ● Natural Gas
• ● Information and Communication Technologies- ICT and Television

https://www.andesco.org.co/