Argentina's state-owned satellite company ARSAT said it has issued a tender for the extension of the national Refefo fiber optic network at border crossings. Offers are due by Nov. 17.
Launched in 2010, the federal fiber optic network, also known as Refefo, is a network capable of serving public institutions and retail ICT service providers. The government hopes it will bridge the digital divide between large urban centers and small towns across the country. It is still under construction.
In this case, the work provided involved laying 48 fiber optic cables that had to be carried out underground.
There are eight crossings. La Quiaca (about 1.4 km) and Salvador Mazza (0.05 km) on the border with Bolivia; Uspallata (0.8 km) on the border with Chile; Bernardo de Irigoyen (0.42 km) and Paso de Los Libres (0.15 km) on the border with Brazil; and and Paraguay; Puerto Iguazu (0.8 km); Posadas (2.3 km) and Clorinda (0.1 km) on the border with Paraguay.
BNamericas reported that in May, Argentine regulator Enacom approved a program to provide connections to border crossings at a cost of 1.5 billion pesos (about $9.5 million).
In addition, as we reported at the time, late last year the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $100 million loan to boost Argentina's Internet access and digitization program, of which Refefo is one of the beneficiaries.
The Refefo development plan will finance the expansion and equipping of infrastructure to connect 258 locations in remote areas with fiber optics.
