La Paz, Bolivia — La Paz, Bolivia (AFP) – Bolivia On Tuesday, the new government issued a decree allowing this Global satellite internet companies such as Starlink Or Kuiper to provide Internet access throughout the Andean country as it tries to upgrade technology and speed up extremely slow connection rates.
Centrist Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz signed the decree lifting restrictions imposed by the socialist administration of his predecessor, Luis Arce, on international satellite companies.
Last year, the Arce government refused to grant a license to SpaceX, which owns Starlink, to operate in Bolivia, citing data protection and national sovereignty concerns.
For years, Bolivia has tried to improve internet access in remote areas with a satellite purchased from China during the leftist leader’s government. Evo Morales. When the satellite was acquired in 2013, Morales promised that it would “enlighten people, after years of living in obscurity.”
But the Chinese satellite, known as Tupac Katari, failed to significantly speed up Internet connections on mobile phones or in homes, because it relies on geostationary technology and orbits the Earth at a distance of about 35,000 kilometers (about 21,800 miles) from the surface.
In contrast, the satellites used by Starlink orbit the planet at a distance of 550 kilometers (about 340 miles). Modern satellites used by Starlink and its competitors stay closer to Earth, enabling them to transmit data at faster rates.
A report published by Ookla, a connectivity intelligence company, in November found that Bolivia had the slowest mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds in South America. Brazil is the regional leader in internet speed.
The Bolivian president said on Tuesday that by granting licenses to international satellite companies, he hopes to “reduce the digital divide” and ensure access to high-quality connectivity for Bolivians.
Bolivia’s slow connection rates hamper simple tasks like conference calls, and make it more difficult to conduct more complex online operations, including cloud computing.
“We became spectators while the rest of the world moved forward,” Paz said. Elected in October. “But that is over. Thanks to new technologies, we will be able to make up for lost time.”
Paz also said that global companies – including Tesla, Amazon, Tether and Oracle – plan to invest in data centers that Bolivia will build near the cities of El Alto and Cochembamba.
The president is trying to attract international investments to Bolivia, as part of efforts to overcome the economic crisis. It is characterized by a severe shortage of the US dollar.
Earlier this week, Paz signed a decree Eliminate fuel subsidies This hindered public finances and exacerbated the dollar shortage. Trade unions across the Andean country took to the streets on Monday to protest the removal of fuel subsidies.