Colombian govt waives spectrum fees in exchange for rural rollouts

Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (Ministerio de Tecnologias de la Informacion y las Comunicaciones, MinTIC) has announced that President Ivan Duque signed Decree 825 into law on 8 June, substituting certain spectrum payment fees for an obligation to extend mobile broadband coverage to some of the country’s most remote rural areas. The watchdog notes that the measure has been designed to assist ‘the vulnerable, low-income rural population’ and will also benefit libraries, schools and rural health centres.