Growth of internet users decreases

Panama has the significant challenge of reducing the digital divide in the coming years, say international specialists in the field.

Only in six countries in Latin America, the number of users exceeds 50% of the population, and Panama is not in this list, according to a report from the Development Bank of America Latina (CAF), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Center of Studies of the Telecommunications of America Latina (Cet.la) and Fundación Telefónica.

Panama, Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Mexico and Dominican Republic do not reach 50%.

Meanwhile, in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, the number of internet users does not exceed 30% of the population.

Despite this, the study highlights that progress is apparent in the region, since nowadays virtually all the inhabitants of the region have a cell phone, and in the last 10 years the number of internet users has more than doubled.

In Panama, according to the Authority of Public Services (Asep), in 2015 there were 1 million 661 thousand 790 internet users, estimated in accordance with the number of users, taking into account the number of people per household and the average number of employees per company.

The figures indicate that there has been a 19% increase in internet users from 2010 to 2015. However, year on year, i.e. compared with 2014 2015 an increase of users of only 0.3% was recorded.

Telecom operators provide benefits to their users as for instance, “a company that connects to the internet through broadband and exchanges data with customers and suppliers by means of dedicated communication channels achieved an increase in productivity", assessed Alkin Saucedo of Asep.

He noted that under a proper strategy, the right connections for the improvement of the conditions of communities are made.

From the point of view of the country, the most important challenges in the field of telecommunications are still the growth of infrastructure (broadband) and its cost, especially in areas not connected due to their difficult access conditions, small population and low purchasing power.

However, telecommunications companies also recorded disadvantages unable to supply the required speed on the internet, since household wiring remains of copper and not optic fiber.

Saucedo said that the wired households sometimes could restrict increase of internet access speeds, although he noted that large competitors in the internet service in Panama improve and modernize their networks, every day.

José Quintero, executive director of technology of Cable & Wireless, stressed that the growth of the internet must be accompanied by a State policy that promotes it, there are agencies like the Authority of Government Innovation (AIG) and Senacyt who have programs in this direction, but also need support.

Internal elections in the party founded by Omar Torrijos Herrera