He settled before the Congress of the Republic the bill “Solidario Internet”, An initiative of the ICT Ministry that seeks to recognize Internet access as a fundamental right and turn the fixed Internet into a home public service within the reach of all Colombians.
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“Internet access should not be a luxury, but a prerequisite for social inclusion, equity and full participation in economic, political, educational and cultural life. With this project we will ensure the fundamental right that all Colombians have to access the Internet of quality and thus reduce the poverty of the Internet, which in Colombia is calculated by 22 %”said Minister ICT, Julián Molina.
One of the central points of the proposal establishes that household houses 5 and 6, as well as large commercial and industrial companies, must contribute 30% Additional on your fixed Internet bill. These resources will be used to subsidize access to the service in the most vulnerable sectors in the country.
According to the telecommunications portfolio, The initiative contemplates concrete benefits for the households of 1 stratum registered in Sisbén A, that have energy service and active students. These may receive a subsidy of up to 55% of the total value of their fixed Internet invoice.
In addition, the bill orders that the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) and the ICT Ministry define the technical and economic conditions of a special, solidarity and sustainable rate for new users of stratum households 1. This rate is calculated in around $ 35,000 per month, in order to facilitate the entry of more families to connectivity.
According to figures from the ICT portfolio, the poorest households in the country are currently allocated to 30 % of their total income to pay fixed Internet. This situation reflects a structural inequality, since all users pay the same rate without considering their ability to pay, which deepens the digital gap and limits opportunities in education, health and economy.
The articulate also establishes that operators must offer more affordable plans and special packages for lower income sectors. “With this, the ICT Ministry seeks to lay the foundations for a new digital social pact, in which the solidarity between strata helps to close the digital poverty that today excludes millions of Colombians from the benefits of connectivity and technology”Molina said.
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An ABC of the project
Internet
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The bill proposes a series of key measures to ensure that the poorest households can access the residential fixed Internet:
1. Special plans: A special fixed Internet access plan is established with sustainable and affordable rates, designed for the lowest strata.
2. Rate regulated for stratum 1: It forces the rates offered to new stratum users 1 are lower.
3. Digital solidarity subsidy: It includes an additional subsidy that makes this rate even more accessible for stratum 1 people under conditions of greater poverty and vulnerability.
4, inspection, surveillance and control measures: In order to protect user rights and guarantee compliance with these provisions.
According to the Mintic, users of residential real estate of strata 5 and 6as well as industrial and commercial users that are not classified as micro or small businesses that hire the fixed Internet access service, they will be the ones that contribute.
“The Internet is already a fundamental right recognized by the Constitutional Court, and an essential right established in the law, but there is still the legal development that provides content and scope to this fundamental right, and the tools that allow everyone to really access the Internet”said the Ministry of ICT.
Johana Lorduy
Portfolio journalist
