In 2018, the consulting firm Deloitte considered Chile as the most prepared country in Latin America for the deployment of 5G technology. They were right.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said on Monday that his country will continue to advance a tender for spectrum bands for the adoption of 5G technology, in an attempt to boost development and expand access for citizens.
During the presentation of the bidding rules, the conservative ruler explained that after two years of work, in the first stage the capacity of the interested parties will be technically evaluated and then the best economic offer will be determined.
Challenges for Chile in the deployment of the 5G
President Piñeira said at a public event that Chile is still behind. “We are not advancing with the speed that is required (…). Today we want to take a great leap forward and incorporate Chile (…) into the world of 5G technology,”.
Piñera stressed that the entry of 5G will join the efforts of a national fiber-optic laying and the submarine cable that the country promotes to connect with Asia and Oceania.
The adoption of 5G technology, which allows to greatly increase the connection speed and the interface of devices, has been marked by debates in many countries due to questions about cybersecurity and data handling.
The president explained that coverage is expected to reach 90% of the country’s population to promote “comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable” development.
Although the number of mobile Internet connections exceeds the total population of 18 million inhabitants, fixed connections to the network in the South American country reach only 3.5 million, according to official figures.
Watch this video about 5G in Latin America