Colombia plans free Wi-Fi hotspots in rural towns using SES-14 satellite

The Colombian Ministry of Telecommunications (Mintic) has selected local services provider INRED to install, operate and maintain 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in rural areas around the country as part of the Sustainable Universal Access project.

SES Networks will provide satellite services for the project using its SES-14 satellite, which comprises a mix of wide beams and high throughput (HTS) spot beams to cover the entire Latin America region, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic.

“By working together with SES Networks, we were able to quickly and cost-effectively expand our data and Internet services via satellite throughout the Colombian territory, reducing the digital divide that still separates cities from the countryside,” said Jhon Jairo Ureña CEO at INRED. “This project will allow end users in 20 Colombian departments to have high speed Internet access, even in those areas that have been historically underserved or tough-to-reach.”

“Colombia’s geographically diverse landscape makes it challenging to build up infrastructure to connect people who live in sparsely-populated regions,” said Omar Trujillo, Vice President of Sales for Fixed Data Americas at SES Networks. “We are extremely proud to partner with INRED to help the Colombian government bring Internet connectivity to more people in remote areas of the country.