Data Network Deployment, Ceibal Program and Social Development

in Uruguay

Julio FernándezMember, National Academy of Engineering

UruguayCAETS 2014, Beijing

Three main organizations involved

AGESIC, National Agency for Electronic Government and the Information Society

ANTEL, National Telecommunications Company

CEIBAL Plan - One Laptop per Child, including maintenance , connectivity and technical support

Digital Agenda

AGESIC, 5-year plan

Main Items 2011-2015:

inclusion citizens participation government reform

educationR&D

territorial integration & international connection

Connectivity and costs

ANTEL: Aggresive FTTH program of fixed broadbandFree market for 4G mobile broadband Very high cell phone penetration index (over 130%)(but only about 50% smartphones).

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Optical Fiber subscriptions per 100 inhabitants OCDE, June 2013

ANTEL March 2014

ANTEL June 2013

OCDE average June 2013

Fuente: Net Index

Actual average download speed (Kbps)

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Average in beginning of 2014 is 20.8 Mbps for residential broadband services. This is fastest in Latin America (according to Net Index- Ookla)

6.38 (#48)

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IDI Global position: #47 in World

#4 in the Americas in 2012.

Position should improve after the 2013+ FTTH and

mobile initiatives.

Uruguay had 10% of digital natives in 2012 (about the same as Germany) but lower-than-average enrollment in higher educational levels.

All schools in the country are connected

About 1100 centers (out of 2419 total) already had fiber optic connection by the end of 2013.

Ceibal Plan

More than 600,000 users (2014)Large impact on digital inclusion and connectivity in remote areas

Using their Ceibal laptops, Agustin Zubiaga (2012) and Ignacio Rodriguez (2013) won the worldwide Google Code-In Contests for teenagers. They learned how to program in their Ceibal laptops.

Photo: Patricia Mango

Agustin lives in a rural area. He started programming at 12 years old. One year later, he was already collaborating with Ceibal technical systems department.

Ignacio: “I started programming when I received my Ceibal machine in 5th. form. I did not have a computer before!”

Acknowledgements

The following colleagues made available key materials for this presentation and did the actual work:

Miguel Brechner, Chairman, Board of Directors, Plan Ceibal

Andres Tolosa, General Manager, ANTEL

Jose Clastornik, Executive Director, AGESIC

Any error is mine alone!

Thanks for your attention!