The Institute of Economics and Business Development (IEDEP) of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL) indicated that there are still several national sectors that do not have internet coverage or have a slow 2G network. So, regions like CajamarcaPuno, Cusco and Ancash have been identified as the areas most prone to suffer the effects of digital exclusion, the same that postulates to be the new face of global inequality.
Also in this group are Huancavelica and Huánuco, which require basic telecommunications infrastructure. According to the head of IEDEP of the CCL, Óscar Chávez, at the national level there are 1,408 districts and 5,445 localities at high risk of being excluded from the benefits of digital development.
“The population of these territories will not have access to and use of quality financial services (financial inclusion), online education, digital public services and other facilities provided by the era of the internet of things; therefore, government strategies are required to achieve greater connectivity at the national level,” said Chávez.
It is worth mentioning that 45% of households do not have internet access and the gap in basic telecommunications infrastructure amounts to S/ 12.5 billion. But if the main objective is to move towards digital transformation, the quality gap turns out to be much more expensive: S/ 28,200 million to reach the level of countries with similar economic characteristics to Peru in the region and S/ 106,000 million to reach the levels of infrastructure quality of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
To date, four regions are likely to be excluded from digitization: first is Cajamarca, with 198 districts with low and non-existent coverage; in Puno, Cusco and Áncash, the identified districts add up to 141, 124 and 106, respectively.
According to Chávez, these four regions have an important relationship as a source of tourism adventure or experiential, for which “it is necessary to implement multisectoral plans with the committed ministries, since digitization is a factor widely valued by tourists.” Added to these regions are Huánuco, with 98 districts; and Huancavelicawith 89 districts.
In a second group, considered as medium-high risk, there are Ayacucho, Junín, La Libertad, Apurímac, Loreto and Piura, with a range of between 50 and 80 districts. It is followed by the regions of Lima, Amazonas, San MartinArequipa, Pasco, Ucayali and Lambayeque, with a medium-low risk.
Meanwhile, there are five regions with a low risk of inequality in digitization and connectivity. Among them, two are border regions in the north and south of the country: Tumbes (4 districts) and Tacna (9 regions); these are accompanied by Moquegua (5 districts), Madre de Dios (7 districts) and Ica (9 districts).
broadband projects
To reduce the impacts of this problem, Peru has 9 broadband public investment projects estimated at S/ 2,216 million. According to IEDEPthe implementation of this portfolio of projects will reverse the coverage situation in 437 districts, that is, they will reduce the total number of districts at risk of being exposed to digital exclusion by 38%.
In relation to its progress, three are closer to completion, including the broadband installation project for comprehensive connectivity and social development in the Cusco region, whose financial progress is 98.8%, followed by the installation project broadband for the Lambayeque region (95.5%) and the corresponding one for the Lima region (90.2%).
Source: Larepublica
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