Bolivia and Paraguay promote Internet interconnection through fiber optics

The National Telecommunications Company (ENTEL) of Bolivia and the Paraguayan Communications Company (COPACO) formalized today in Asunción a fiber optic border interconnection agreement for Internet access.

The National Telecommunications Company (Entel) of Bolivia and the Paraguayan Communications Company (Copaco) formalized today in Asunción a fiber optic border interconnection agreement for Internet access.
The agreement establishes the start of work “immediately, starting with the technical aspect,” and “both countries, from now on, must expand their networks until they reach the border to complete the interconnection” within a period of ten months, reported the official agency IP Paraguay.

According to the EFE Agency, the document was endorsed on the 24th in this capital by the president of Copaco, Mario Esquivel, and by the president of the Entel board of directors, Carlos Reyes.

“Building and interconnecting fiber optics on the border will allow both countries to offer citizens access to better Internet services, which at this time is the technology that dominates telecommunications worldwide,” said Reyes.

He commented that the “Mediterranean nature of Paraguay and Bolivia means that access to communication has a very high cost” and that “with this integration they will have greater capacity to be able to leave and reach both coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.”

“This will allow access to submarine fiber optic networks under better commercial conditions,” he highlighted.

For his part, the president of Copaco indicated that they will seek to include other state companies in the region such as Telebras from Brazil and Arsát from Argentina in this new agreement.

The Paraguayan authorities reported at the time about the intention to access a fiber optic cable, which will cross the Atlantic and Pacific, through a connection in Buenos Aires that would reach Bolivia.