PARACAS,PERÚ-DICIEMBRE 02.Martín Vizcarra, ministro de Transportes y Comunicaciones participa en en CADE 2016.Foto: ANDINA/Oscar Farje Gomero.
Peruvian Government will invest US$1.5 billion to expand the fiber optic backbone network and bring broadband Internet to district capitals across the country, Transport and Communications Minister Martin Vizcarra announced on Friday.
This is the sixth in a range of goals set for 2021, and comprises 21 regional broadband projects currently underway as well as 1519 district capitals connected to the fiber optic network.
“We have to make a sort of a spider web to reach out all districts, and once the optical fiber is there, we can make use of it through tele-education, telehealth, telework and e-government,” he said.
During his presentation at the Annual Conference of Executives (CADE) 2016 taking place in Paracas, the also Peru's first Vice-President affirmed modernity will be used successfully, wherever the optical fiber network may reach.
“Set as the sixth objective, the investment was valued at US$1.5 billion, a quite important amount,” he underlined.
According to private-run Infrastructure and Development Association (AFIN), the gap in infrastructure totaled US$160 billion and that in transport amounted to US$58 billion.
However, he pointed out the Transport and Communications Ministry’s budget for 2017 just totals US$2.4 billion, and more investment is required to close the infrastructure gap.
(END) MDV/JHM/RMB
Published: 12/2/2016