Bolivia enacts the General Telecommunications Law

Bolivia has promulgated this week the General Law of Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies.

Bolivia has promulgated this week the General Law of Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies.

The Minister of the Presidency, Carlos Romero, has assured that the Executive Branch will now focus on regulating the norm, generating the necessary consensus with the sectors involved in this law.

Among the main characteristics of the norm is the distribution of electromagnetic space as 33 percent for the State, 33 percent for private media, 17 percent for community media and 17 percent for indigenous media.

In addition, it establishes the extension of the granting of operating licenses for the media from 10 to 15 years. The chain transmission, twice a year, of the president's messages on the broadcasting operators of audio and video signals (radio and open television) and distribution of audio and video signals.

The new legal text establishes one hundred percent mobile telephone coverage for all the country's populations by 2015 and, also, expand and technically improve broadband in Bolivia, so that the populations have access and better quality Internet service.

The General Telecommunications Law consists of 113 articles, nine transitional provisions and one abrogatory and derogatory provision.