Coquimbo telecommunications infrastructure remains damaged after storm

Nearly one month after a severe weather system hit the Coquimbo Region in Chile, telecommunications connectivity remains unstable in several municipalities. The Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) reported that while the regional average of non-functional antennas has dropped to 12.47% from a peak of 50%, specific areas continue to face significant outages.

In municipalities such as Salamanca (37.7%), Monte Patria (36.7%), Vicuña (30.8%), Canela (30.4%), and Combarbalá (30.3%), more than 30% of antennas remain out of service. Subtel officials criticized the slow recovery process, noting that some localities have experienced service failures for up to 16 days.

To compensate approximately 200,000 affected customers, major providers including Entel, Claro, VTR, and Movistar have announced billing discounts for July. These discounts range from 40% to 100% for fixed and mobile services depending on the provider and the specific municipality. Subtel is currently evaluating new measures to improve network resilience, such as reinforcing energy backup systems and increasing critical infrastructure to prevent similar prolonged outages during future emergencies.