The second edition of the meeting organized by the Telecommunications Union of the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry (CIG) brought together businessmen, authorities and international experts to debate digital infrastructure, investment and technological transformation in the country.
Connectivity ceased to be solely a technological issue and became a strategic factor for the economic development and competitiveness of Guatemala.
During the event, representatives of the sector highlighted that Strengthening digital infrastructure is key to improving business productivity, promoting industry 4.0 and expand access to economic and educational opportunities.
According to the Annual Report of the Broadband Development Index (IDBA) 2023, of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Guatemala obtained a rating of 3.71, which positions the country as a regional benchmark in mobile technology. However, important challenges remain, including a digital divide of 40% in rural areas.
“Talking about connectivity is talking about competitiveness. Today, a company needs to be permanently online to operate, train, report and make decisions in real time,” said Ricardo Antonio Valenzuela, president of the Telecommunications Union of the CIG.
At the moment, Guatemala registers around 22 million active mobile lines and nearly 11 million fixed network connections. In addition, it leads in Central America the deployment of 5G networks and fixed digital services with speeds greater than 100 megabytes through fiber optics.
Oscar Emilio Castillo, director of the Board of Directors of the Guatemalan Chamber of Industrypointed out that digital infrastructure is closely linked to the country’s economic growth.
“Only 62% of the Guatemalan population has effective access to the internet. “This gap has real costs for companies, communities and national competitiveness,” he indicated.
The meeting also addressed the challenges to expand the deployment of networks and attract investment to the sector. Among the issues discussed, the growth of data centers in Guatemala stood out, cybersecurity, smart cities, the transition to digital television and the application of artificial intelligence in business automation.
The organizers highlighted that the country already has data centers capable of hosting global services from international platforms such as Netflix, Facebook and Google. Likewise, during the activity, the National Digital Connectivity Plan promoted by the Telecommunications Superintendence was presented.
Valenzuela emphasized that public-private alliances will be decisive in reducing the digital divide and expand access to technology in the country.
“We need a framework of legal certainty that allows technology to reach the entire national territory,” he concluded.