Plan Puebla Panama

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Plan Puebla Panama Connecting Mesoamerica
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• PLAN PUEBLA PANAMA
• AND THE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
  TECHNOLOGIES AS TOOLS FOR DEVELOPMENT

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Mesoamerica as region

• 64 millons inhabitants
• US 143,000 mill. GDP

• Cultural and historical affinity

• Integrated ecosystems

• Strategic location and common social and
  economic challenges
• Shared development potential

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Objetive Plan Puebla - Panama
To boost human and environmental richness in the
mesoamerican region in a frame of sustainable
development, respecting cultural diversity.
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Eight Mesoamerican Initiatives

• Each Commissioner has been given the
  responsability of coordinating an Initiative
• Sustainable Development Nicaragua
• Human Development Mexico
• Disasters prevention Panama
• Tourism promotion Belice
• Trade Facilitation Honduras
• Road integration Costa Rica
• Energy integration Guatemala
• Telecommunications integration El Salvador

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MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
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Mesoamerican Initiative for the Integration of
Telecommunication Services.
Plan Puebla Panama

• Aims
• To develop the infrastructure of
• Computer interconnection (AMI)
• To develop the regulation setting
• and promote universal access.
• To further private investment.
• To foster complementary projects
• to AMI with high social content.

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Mesoamerica Current context

• Structure and development level Diversity,
• High growth rate, Specially in the fields of
  mobile services and internet.
• Low intraregional trading proportion
• Lower penetration into the countries
• Broad-Band incipient development
• There is no high capacity regional land Network

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A growing Sector...
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The Telecommunications Industry in Mesoamerica is
very dynamic

• According to the Telecommunications International
  Union (UIT)
• The growth of services reaches in some cases more
  than 100 pro year
• In some countries the growth of internet users
  approaches to 200
• Traditional telephony presents rates close to 10

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Ladyvill
MAYA 1
ARCOS
Pto Barrios
Trujillo
Pto. San Jose
Pto. Cortes
Pto. Lempira
San Salvador
Pto. Cabezas
Managua
SAM-EMERGY
Bluefields
Pto. Colon
San Jose
UNDERWATER CABLES IN MESOAMERICA
Pto. Limon
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LAND OPTIC FIBRE NETWORKS IN MESOAMERICA
Tecun Uman
Agua Caliente
Guatemala
San Cristóbal
San Salvador
El Amatillo
León
Managua
Segments under Construction
Colon
San José
Segments already established
Panamá
Pto. Limón
Agua Dulce
Paso Canoas
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MICROWAVE LAND NETWORKS
Guatemala
Tegucigalpa
San Salvador
Managua
Colon
San Jose
Panama
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Mesoamerican Initiative for the Integration of
Telecommunications Services OUR MAIN Projects...

• Mesoamerican Information Highway (AMI).
• Regional Regulatory Framework.
• Digital Pass (TELECENTERS)
• NAPs

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Mesoamerican Information Highway (AMI)

• It is defined as a strong Broad-Band
  telecommunications infrastructure, bringing
  together the Mesoamerican countries between them,
  as well as with the rest of the world.
• It includes the main and national networks, as
  well as the necessary regulation, allowing the
  interconnection of the region with the existent
  international networks in Mesoamerica.

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AMI Cont.

• The AMI was presented to the Private Sector
  in the First Mesoamerican Forum on
  Telecommunications, that took place in El
  Salvador, in October 3rd and 4th.
• The AMI will be carried out within the SIEPAC
  project. Advantages Costs reduction it can be
  situated inside other regional project it
  respects the regulation diversity of the region
  more trust from local and foreign investors
  among others.
• The project will be utterly financed by the
  Private Sector.
• Aprox. Cost US 60.000.000

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Regional regulatory Framework
Objetive To develop the necessary rules to
encourage telecommunication services and further
universal access to improve the conditions for
private sector investments.

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• 2. Regional Regulatory Framework

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3. Digital Pass (TELECENTERS)

• It is being developed by INCAE/MIT LAB.
• The objective is to strengthen the develop of
  rural communities of PPP, through the innovative
  use of digital technologies and participative
  learning methodologies.
• 5 low income communities will be chosen from each
  of the PPP countries (40 communities)
• Each community will be supported by INCAE, MIT
  and ML

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4. REGIONAL NAP

• This topic was included in December 2002 as
  impact project, complementary to AMI.
• Currently, a study on the convinience of a NAP
  for the mesoamerican region in being developed.
  It could bring benefits such as Cost reduction
  increase of the inner and outer regional
  connectivity development of contents increase
  of local and foreign investment.

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STEPS TAKEN
Six High National Authorities Meetings on
Telecommunications

• Objetives
• To identify important areas for the
• harmonization of the legal settings.
• To identify government actions to foster
• infrastructure and private participation.
• To establish communication channels between
• national authorities.
• To put projects into practice

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STEPS TAKEN

• Outcomes
• Consolidation of the dialogue process of the
  national and sectorial authorities of each
  country
• We count on economic and technical studies, that
  have helped advance in the definition and
  promotion of projects
• Updated Studies and Analysis on the sector and
  its potential
• Carrying-out of AMI within SIEPAC.

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• Outcomes
• Memorandum of Understanding, allowing to
  Harmonize the regulation setting of AMI, reduce
  costs of passing right, licenses granting,
  services to users, among others.
• Incorporation of a component devoted to social
  application into the initiative, as complementary
  to AMI, incorporating the following work axes
  Development of contents, Communitary access
  points, or Telecentros, e-government, TICs for
  PYMEs, NAP, among others.

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STEPS TAKEN

• First PPP Mesoamerican Forum on
  Telecommunications
  (San Salvador, Oct/3-4/02).
• Outcomes
• There is high interest from the private sector in
  AMI.
• General consensus on the underlying purpose of
  the Telecommunications initiative, as tool to
  increase the development level of the region,
  guaranteeing universal acces and reducing the
  digital gap

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• Outcomes
• Enlargement of the conception of AMI, not just as
  an infrastructure project, but as part of a
  strategy for the mesoamerican information
  society.
• There are big business opportunities in the TIC
  field in Mesoamerica

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STEPS TAKEN

• First Workshop on Telecentros (Sept/3-4/03)
• Outcomes
• Projects Presentation and Discussion.
• Creation of a virtual and fisical work permanent
  mechanism for projects (Digital passing, NAP,
  SIRCANET)
• Interest from Financing Organisms to support
  these projects.

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CONSIDERATIONS

• AMI is necessary, but it is not enough for the
  Mesoameircan Information Society.
• We should
• Determine the capacity of SIEPAC and other public
  infrastructure to offer transmission support and
  passing right.
• Analyze the feasibility of completing missing
  segments of land FO within the mesoamerican
  network.
• Put the emphasis of the project on alternatives,
  requiring just marginal investment.

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CONSIDERATIONS

• We need to complement AMI with a mesoamerican
  contents project, and social applications of the
  TICs, with interesting topics for trade (PYMEs)
  and public interest (e-health, tele-education,
  e-government, etc.).
• We need to complement AMI with mechanisms to
  encourage national and local Broad-Band
  connectivity (use of alternative technologies to
  reduce costs from last-mile to final user, etc.).
• From PPP to DDD (Digital Development for
  Development Mesoamerica 3D)

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ACTIONS AGENDA

• Assessment of the regional condition.
• Formulation of Strategy and definition of the
  viability of AMI within SIEPAC.
• Carrying-out of Digital Passing project.
• To finish studies on Regional NAP
• To carry out a II Telecommunications Forum with
  focus on social aspect
• Institutional Strengthening .
• Public-Private participation.
• Participation in ICT for Development Platform
  (Geneva, Dec/9-13/03)

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CONCLUSION

• The PPP countries are engaged and resolute to
  strengthening the communication infrastructure
  of
• the region, in order to use efficiently the
  TICs in the social and economic development of
  the region.

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• For more information
• www.rree.gob.sv
• www.iadb.org/ppp

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• THANK YOU