‘Connectivity’ high on the government agenda in Ecuador
Jan 22 2008, Ecuador [EC]
A recent survey of the cost and quality of the Internet in Ecuador revealed that only 0.2% of the population has access to broadband as opposed to 1.6% in the whole of Latin America. To gain a better understanding of Ecuador’s connectivity problems, a national forum was held in September 2007. As a result of these initiatives, the government has now placed ‘connectivity’ high on its agenda.
In 2006 and 2007, a
national survey was carried out in Ecuador to assess the cost and
quality of the Internet. This survey was the brainchild of the
Connectivity Working Group of Infodesarrollo (www.infodesarrollo.ec); the
country’s national ICT for Development (ICT4D) network which was set up
at the end of 2004 with IICD’s support and later became an independent
institution. Although the Connectivity Working Group initiated the
survey, it contracted an external consultant to carry out the work.
As part of this initiative, the Connectivity Working Group also organised a forum in Quito to gain a better understanding of connectivity issues within the country. During the forum various national stakeholders addressed issues relating to the costs and quality of the Internet as well as exploring the different connectivity options.
After the forum, immediate action was taken by two major government actors to find mechanisms to reduce the cost of accessing the Internet. It was subsequently announced that, in November 2007, Ecuador would get a submarine cable. Steady progress has been made so far with the cable: it has now reached the southern coastal province of Guayas. Aside from enabling more people to gain access to the Internet, the cable will also improve the quality and speed of the Internet connection. It is expected that it will help to solve many of the country’s connectivity issues.
A second ‘connectivity forum’ will take place at the end of 2007 in Guayaquil, in the south-west of the country. The purpose of this second forum is to gain insights into the underlying issues that affect the cost and quality of the Internet in the region. For example, often the economies of scale are not sufficient to bring down connectivity costs in a certain region. This is why Internet access in cities such as Guayaquil is a lot more expensive than in cities like Quito. It is expected that the submarine cable, which is expected to be in place in November 2007, will go a long way to solving this type of problem.