By Patrick Nixon, BNamericas
Chile's telecoms regulator Subtel plans to relaunch in 2H17 a failed fiber project connecting the country's southernmost regions, Subtel head Rodrigo Ramírez told BNamericas.
The project fell flat in October after only one bid was presented for one of the four stretches of the 3,000km network.
Ramirez said that the watchdog would launch a public consultation on December 1 to hear the opinions of the public and private sectors in an attempt to make the auction more attractive.
“We're going to launch a second tender. We'll make the necessary adjustments to the bases. We accept self-criticism. Perhaps the tender lacked more detailed discussion,” he said.
Questioned about what changes might be made, Ramírez said that there could be modifications regarding the formation of consortiums, the definition of preferential use of the infrastructure by the state and the time allowed to make repairs to damaged cables in case of cuts.
“This is a bet on the future. It's is not a question of whether there is demand or not. Undoubtedly this new highway will generate demand not just for Chile but for the rest of the continent.
