Venezuelan mobile operator Digitel announced that it has completed the 4G LTE connection of 30 schools as part of regulator Conatel's project to connect educational centers to the internet.
The company delivered wireless routers and 15GB monthly plans to schools in Antímano, El Valle, El Paraíso, Coche, Caricuao, La Vega and La Pastora, financed with money from the universal service fund, to which Digital contributes.
In a first phase Digitel plans to connect 86 schools in the Caracas capital district, Miranda state and the Las Roques archipelago.
“At Digitel we are deeply committed to education. We are very pleased to be able to participate in this project, so that technology has a positive impact on the development of our children and young people, who are the most vulnerable population. It is our mission for technological development to reach all Venezuelans and help them have greater opportunities," said Digitel VP Luis Bernardo Pérez in a release.
In March, Conatel made a call for operators to connect 19,529 nationwide schools to the internet. To meet this target, it made frequency blocks available in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 10GHz bands.
The pandemic has exposed the country's connectivity problems. According to the Venezuelan public services observatory's June report, only 66% of the people surveyed have access to smartphones, while 62.6% said mobile phone services suffered from faults "every day".
With regard to home internet access, only 34% of those surveyed said they had fixed internet services, with 65.3% giving the service a negative rating.