Universal Service Funds for Urban and Rural Community Networks: The Barrios Populares and Roberto Arias Programs in Argentina

AutorMariela Baladrón
Páginas107-120
107
Universal Service Funds for Urban and Rural Community Networks:
The Barrios Populares and Roberto Arias Programs in Argentina
8 Universal Service Funds for Urban and
Rural Community Networks: The Barrios
Populares and Roberto Arias Programs
in Argentina
Mariela Baladrón54
8.1 Abstract
This article addresses the incorporation of community networks as
beneficiaries of Universal Service Funds in Argentina through two
programs. The first one is aimed at shanty towns and incorporated
community networks among the ICT licensees eligible to apply in
2020. On the other hand, the Roberto Arias program was created
specifically for community networks in rural areas of up to 5000
inhabitants in 2021. In addition to highlighting the main characteristics
of both programs, an overview of the advocacy actions that promoted
these measures is presented, which are an important precedent for
other countries in the region and the world.
8.2 Presentation
Policies aimed at implementing Universal Service are important to
reduce the so-called ‘digital divide’, that is to say, the exclusion of
sectors of the population from access to ICT services, with serious
effects on their social and economic development. Among the
regulatory proposals to promote it to small operators and, in particular,
community networks as key players in bringing connectivity to these
underserved populations and communities, support through the
Universal Service Fund (USF) is among the available tools, along
with access to basic infrastructure resources, spectrum, equipment
and backhaul, and others (APC, Redes A.C. & UPC, 2020).
This article analyzes two pioneering USF programs in Argentina with
respect to the incorporation of community networks as beneficiaries
of this type of funding. The following pages are organized as follows:
first, a brief historical overview of the implementation of the USF in
54 Institute for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (IEALC), Social Sciences School, University of
Buenos Aires (UBA).

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