LA PAZ, Bolivia. LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivia The new government on Tuesday issued a decree that will allow global satellite internet companies such as Starlink or Kuiper to provide internet access throughout the Andean country as it tries to upgrade its technology and speed up its notoriously slow connection speeds.
Bolivia's centrist President Rodrigo Paz signed a decree that lifts restrictions imposed on international satellite companies by the socialist administration of his predecessor Luis Arce.
Last year, Arce's government refused to license 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 using a satellite bought from China during the leftist leader's rule. Evo Morales. When the satellite was acquired in 2013, Morales promised that it would “enlighten people after years of living in obscurity.”
However, the Chinese satellite, known as Tupac Katari, failed to significantly speed up Internet connections on mobile phones or in homes because it is based on geostationary technology and orbits the Earth 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). The modern satellites used by Starlink and its competitors remain closer to Earth, allowing them to transmit data at higher speeds.
A report published in November by connectivity intelligence company Ookla said Bolivia has the slowest internet speeds for mobile phones and fixed broadband in South America. Brazil is a regional leader in Internet speed.
Bolivia's president said Tuesday that by issuing licenses to international satellite companies, he hopes to “close the digital divide” and guarantee Bolivians access to high-quality communications.
Slow connection speeds in Bolivia make it difficult to complete simple tasks such as conference calls, and also make it difficult to conduct more complex online transactions, including cloud computing.
“We became spectators while the rest of the world moved forward,” said Paz, who was elected in October. “But that's behind us. Thanks to new technologies, we can make up for lost time.”
Paz also said that international companies including Tesla, Amazon, Tether and Orcacle are planning to invest in data centers that Bolivia will create near the cities of El Alto and Cochambamba.
The president is trying to attract international investment to Bolivia as part of efforts to overcome the economic crisis. characterized by an acute shortage of US dollars..
Earlier this week, Paz signed a decree on eliminate fuel subsidies this strained government finances and exacerbated dollar shortages. Unions across the Andean country took to the streets on Monday to protest against the removal of fuel subsidies.
