Uruguay’s 2025 digital agenda promises opportunities for software and hardware providers, as well as telecom operators and network services companies.
The plan includes sensors for public utilities services, expansion of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks to locations with less than 3,000 inhabitants and the assignment of new spectrum bands for mobile technology, in addition to progress on the 5G roll-out.The country’s e-gov agency Agesic began developing the plan in December and released it just now. The goal is to update the country’s digital transformation strategy for the next five years.
Five priority areas and 12 main objectives make up the plan. Each objective has specific goals, assigned to each government agency that will be responsible for implementing them.Priority areas refer to digital citizenship, digital government, innovation in key sectors, connectivity infrastructure/cybersecurity and the regulatory framework.
SMART GRIDS
A highlight of the agenda is the government’s plan to incorporate IoT in the provision and management of public services, namely energy, water, communications and transport, with the installation of meters and sensors to improve customer care and raise competitiveness for the productive sector.Another item refers to boosting internet connectivity in rural areas with FTTH in small towns as well completing 4G cellular coverage nationwide.According to the latest statistics by regulator Ursec, 4G covered 89.3% of Uruguay’s territory in June 2020, up from 64% in June 2019.
The country also had 1.03mn fixed broadband connections at end-June, up from around 995,000, with fiber accounting for 79% of the total, compared to 74% the previous year.”Our country, which has been a pioneer in digital development and incorporation of information and communication technologies, still has a great challenge of deepening the use of these technologies,” Agesic wrote in the agenda.“Although almost nine out of ten Uruguayans are internet users and the offer of digital government services is very wide, these services are still far from being adopted by the majority of the population and barriers and challenges persist for many individuals.”
Another initiative in the scope of public services refers to strengthening the communications infrastructure in prisons to enable services such as telemedicine, remote learning, or court hearings. Ultimately, the government expects to generate savings and reduce the risk of escape.
SPECTRUM BANDS AND 5G
A further highlight is making new frequency bands available for the deployment of radio communication technologies.Aramendía added that Uruguay’s spectrum and connectivity policy pillars are legal certainty, isonomic rules for all players, technology neutrality (open networks and use of different suppliers), and infrastructure sharing.One goal of the digital agenda is to speed up 5G deployment “in accordance with environmental standards.”
Uruguay was the first country to activate a commercial 5G network in Latin America.In April 2019, Antel launched a pre-commercial 5G network powered by Nokia around Montevideo and selected cities in the interior. But that network used spectrum in the 28GHz band that had already been assigned to the company for fixed services.
Source: Agesic/Bnamericas
