By Cyber Era NG Special Correspondent
The Board of Directors of the National Communications Agency (ENACOM) advanced, during its last meeting of the year, in the allocation of frequency bands for the provision and deployment of fifth generation (5G) systems. In addition, new projects of Non-Reimbursable Contributions (NRA) belonging to the programs of the Universal Service Trust Fund (FFSU) were approved with a total investment of more than 1,000 million pesos.
5G advances in our country
The ENACOM authorities established the allocation of the frequency band between 3300 and 3600 MHz to the land mobile service with primary category. This decision is part of the Comprehensive Management Plan of the Radio Spectrum, promoted by the Entity in order to maximize and increase resources for the provision of mobile communications services (SCM) and next generation in the Argentine Republic.
In this way, the Board attributed the portion of spectrum that will be destined for the provision of communications, both fixed and mobile, which has been called “Reliable and Intelligent Telecommunications Service”. To this end, they have identified, in accordance with what has been analyzed and resolved through Resolution ENACOM 2199/21, the portion of the radio spectrum 3300-3600 MHz, making available a total of 300 MHz for the provision of the same.
In this same sense, the General Regulation of the Reliable and Intelligent Telecommunications Service was approved, which will regulate the use of this technology.
This is a wireless service of fixed and mobile telecommunications, which through the use of digital access technologies of high spectral efficiency and flexible network architectures, supports applications of enhanced mobile broadband, high reliability and low latency communications, and mass machine-type communications, among others.
Expansion of connectivity throughout Argentina
Through financing through FFSU resources, ENACOM approved nine NRA projects for a total of 1,021,002,767 pesos(USS5.73million). Specifically, the investment approved during the last Board of Directors of the year is distributed between:
ANR 10000/30000
Two projects, distributed among 2 locations in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe. The total investment will be 35,320,918 pesos, which will benefit an estimated population of 3,606 neighbors.
“Programme for the Development of Internet Infrastructure for Villages and Settlements Registered in the National Registry of Popular Neighborhoods in the Process of Urban Integration (RENABAP)”
Seven projects that will reach an estimated population of 159,950 inhabitants distributed in 55 popular neighborhoods. The total investment will be 985,681,849 pesos. They cover 8 locations of:
or Buenos Aires (4).
or CABA (2).
or Córdoba (1).
or Tucumán (1).
Including all the connectivity programmes promoted by ENACOM, and financed through the FFSU, a total of 97 projects were approved throughout 2022.
Greater connectivity for rural areas
Likewise, ENACOM created the “Programme for the Development of Internet Infrastructure in Public Institutions in Rural Areas”, with the purpose of promoting the human right to communications and telecommunications, through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a preponderant factor in technological and productive independence, through the provision of satellite and wireless Internet to provincial public education institutions health and safety found in rural areas. The total financing for this programme will be 1,000 million pesos from the FFSU.
ICT Cabinets
On the other hand, the proposal for radio linkage of ICT cabinets presented by Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales S.A. (ARSAT) was approved, within the framework of the call for the “Programme for the Development of Internet Infrastructure in Small Rural Towns and Indigenous Communities”, approved by Resolution ENACOM 1352/22.
The execution of the proposal will require the sum of 96,191,208 pesos from the FFSU and will allow reaching a total population of 22,494 inhabitants of 38 localities in the provinces of Corrientes, Neuquén, Chaco, Misiones, Tucumán, Chubut, Santiago del Estero, San Juan and Salta.
Connectivity coverage at border crossings
The Board of ENACOM approved the project presented by ARSAT for the laying of fiber optics through the Paso de San Francisco and Paso Trevelin-Futaleufú (Los Cipreses) crossings, in the provinces of Catamarca and Chubut, respectively, for a total of 1,726,852,338.84 pesos from the FFSU.
The “REFEFO Expansion Project – Paso de San Francisco and Paso Trevelin-Futaleufú Border Crossings” is part of the “Federal Fiber Optic Network Expansion Program – Border Crossings”, approved by Resolution ENACOM 1023/22, and whose primary objective is to implement projects that allow providing connectivity in border controls and strategic areas at border crossings.
The project lies in the execution of fiber optic deployment and construction of sites for cabinets, which will allow the extension of the network in more than 200 kilometers.
Work San Francisco, (Long. Physics approx. 200 km – Long. Fiber Optics. 220 km). Investment: 410,671,379.32 pesos.
Work Los Cipreses, (Long Physics approx. 68 Km -Long. Fiber Optics. 72 km). Investment: 1,316,180,959.52 pesos.
Dubbing Law
In turn, ENACOM approved the creation of the Registry of Actresses and Dubbing Actors, in which those people who have graduated from the Specialization for Dubbing of the Higher Institute of Radio Education (ISER), or the one that in the future dictates said institution and / or the affiliated institutes, or the Dubbing Seminar dictated by the Argentine Association of Actors, may register.
ENACOM and the Argentine Society of Management of Actors Interpreters (SAGAI) have been working together since last year to establish a mutual cooperation agreement in relation to the Dubbing Law and its regulations, which establishes that the work carried out in this sector must be in charge of the graduates of the ISER dubbing training course that coordinates the Specialization in Dubbing as an enabling title.
The registry will allow all voice actors and actresses to receive fair remuneration for their professional performance in this key section for the dissemination of foreign content and productions.
Diversity in Community Media
On the other hand, the authorities of ENACOM approved the particular regulation for the call for open competition of the Competitive Development Fund for Audiovisual Media (FOMECA) Media Management Line – Line M / 2022, which aims to support the management of radio and audiovisual media, providing resources to be implemented in administrative management processes, accounting, legal, commercial, institutional, communicational and similar, in order to improve the functioning of the recipients whose projects are approved, through the 2 sublines:
Radio: aims to provide resources to be implemented in administrative, accounting, legal, institutional, communicational and similar management processes, to improve the organizational functioning of audiovisual communication services of sound broadcasting.
Television: licensee modality operator and licensee and authorized modality. Its purpose is to provide resources to be implemented in administrative, accounting, legal, commercial, institutional, communicational and similar management processes, with the purpose of improving the organizational functioning of television audiovisual communication services.
The maximum amount allocated to this line may not exceed the sum of 200 million pesos. The maximum amounts per subline shall be:
Radio: 180 million pesos.
Television: 20 million pesos.
The maximum limit to be delivered by subsidy per winning project will be 2 million pesos.
Argentina Digital Single License
138 new licences were approved that enable the provision of all ICT services for new providers of subscription broadcasting services through physical and/or radio links, Internet, mobile and fixed telephony, and audiovisual communication by subscription by satellite link (DTH).
These awards complete those made throughout 2022, which total 422 simplified tenders.
The December meeting of the Board of Directors of ENACOM, headed by President Claudio Ambrosini, was attended by the plenary of its members: the vice president, Gustavo López; the directors appointed by the National Executive Power, Gonzalo Quilodrán and María Florencia Pacheco; the directors proposed by the Bicameral Commission for the Promotion and Monitoring of Audiovisual Communication, Telecommunications Technologies and Digitalization, Alejandro Gigena, Silvana Giudici and José Manuel Corral; the Chief of Staff of the Entity, Ariel Martínez; the coordinator of Technical Affairs of the Agency, Diego Leiva, and the Secretary of Records, María José Vázquez.
The current management of ENACOM advances towards the materialization of more rights, the expansion of ICT services, the deployment of community communications and the reduction of the digital divide for the development of regional economies throughout Argentina.
