Colombia Contraloría warns of connectivity risks for 788 municipalities

The Colombian Comptroller General has issued an alert regarding potential service interruptions for a national fiber optic network designed to connect 788 municipalities. The warning stems from the financial situation and corporate reorganization process of TV Azteca, which is currently seeking authorization to integrate this network.

The infrastructure, valued at approximately 434 billion pesos, is critical for providing connectivity to local governments, hospitals, educational institutions, and security agencies. The Comptroller noted that previous operational failures in various regions raise concerns about the operator's ability to guarantee continuous service.

In a separate development regarding rural connectivity, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC) announced it will demand the return of unexecuted public funds from the 'Juntas de Internet' program. The ministry reported that the initiative, intended to bring internet to remote areas, has fallen significantly short of its contractual goals for connected households.