The GSMA is proposing that Chile’s next president implement a series of reforms to Chile’s digital ecosystem.
In the first round of voting held on 19 November 2017, former president Sebastián Piñera and current senator Alejandro Guillier prevailed as the candidates with the two highest vote counts for president. A run-off election will be held on 17 December 2017.
In its newly published report, ‘Keys to the Modernisation of Digital Ecosystem Regulation in Chile’, the GSMA urges the following reforms:
- Improve coverage by removing barriers to infrastructure deployment;
- Level the playing field by reducing regulatory burdens on existing services;
- Enhance the user experience by encouraging competition in quality of service;
- Optimise the use of radio spectrum, a key input for the industry and in particular for the development of the Internet of Things; and
- Create an institutional framework that can act across the digital ecosystem.
Chile currently has 27.5 million mobile connections (153 percent penetration) and about 13.6 million unique mobile internet subscribers (76 percent penetration).
“The institutional framework that regulates ICT must be reviewed urgently if Chile intends to maintain its regional leadership indicators,” said Sebastian Cabello, Head of Latin America, GSMA. “For example, a body empowered to act across the digital ecosystem will need to be created to address the dynamism of the current market and find effective solutions for the cross-cutting nature of digital issues that are currently addressed piecemeal by various government agencies.”
