La Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones e Información (NTIA, por sus siglas en inglés) aprobó el Plan de Equidad Digital de Puerto Rico, informó el secretario auxiliar de la Gobernación para la Innovación, Información, Datos y Tecnología del Gobierno de Puerto Rico, Enrique Völckers-Nin.

En las pasadas semanas, trascendió la urgencia para que el Gobierno federal incluyera a Puerto Rico en los proyectos presentados en el Congreso federal para asignarle fondos al Programa de Descuento para Internet (ACP, por sus siglas en inglés).

Nearly 653,000 households in Puerto Rico benefit from the Internet Discount Program (ACP), which offers eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month for paying for internet service.

The Puerto Rico Broadband Program announced a second round of Request for Proposals (RFP) and Notice of Availability for work to strengthen telecommunications facilities in Puerto Rico, said Enrique Völckers-Nin, the executive director of the program and assistant secretary for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology of the Puerto Rico government.

The Puerto Rico Broadband Program announced a Request for Proposals to obtain grant administration services, said Enrique Völckers-Nin, the executive director of the program and assistant secretary for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology of the Puerto Rico government.

The executive director of the Smart Island program, Enrique Völckers-Nin, announced that the request for proposals (RFP) PRBP-2023-PRBIF-01-003 is available, which seeks to obtain proposals from companies that can help with the design and engineering of a network of underground ducts and fiber optics that will interconnect up to 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Broadband Program, created by Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi, published the second part of the document entitled “Initial Proposal” on its website for the purpose of receiving comments and feedback from the general public, said Enrique Völckers-Nin, executive director of the program.

In an activity organized by the Puerto Rico chapter of the Internet Society in conjunction with the Bayamón Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), the executive director of the Smart Island Program and Assistant Secretary of the Government for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology, Enrique Völckers-Nin, read the Proclamation of the Governor, Pedro R. Pierluisi, which declares November 1, as Internet Day.

The Smart Island Program published on Friday, September 15, on its website two documents on Internet connectivity in homes: Digital Equity Plan and Initial Proposal Volume 1 for input and comments from the general public.

The governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi, together with the director of the Puerto Rico Broadband Program, Enrique Völckers Nin and the chief technology officer of the Government of Puerto Rico, Antonio Ramos Guardiola announced the disbursement of $15 million for the first phase of the project that provides energy resilience to internet and telecommunications service providers across the island and which is part of the initiative known as Smart Island.

On his most recent trip to the Federal Capital, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology, Enrique Völckers-Nin, accompanied by the team from the Broadband program and the Office of Innovation and Technology Services (PRITS), held working groups to continue the efficient use of allocated funds and accelerate the construction of the broadband infrastructure necessary to close the digital divide on the Island.

During his most recent visit to the Federal Capital, the governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi, together with the Undersecretary of the Department of Commerce, Don Graves, formally received an allocation of $158,000,000 from the Department of the Treasury, from the American Rescue Plan, for the implementation of broadband and telecommunications connectivity projects on the Island. The coordinator for the implementation of the American Rescue Plan in the White House and a senior advisor to President Biden, Gene Sperling, also participated in the announcement.

The executive director of the Smart Island program, Enrique Völckers-Nin announced that the five-year Action Plan required by the program was submitted before the deadline, complying with the requirements established by the federal Government.

After the allocation of $334.6 million for Puerto Rico from the Federal Government under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD), the assistant secretary for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology and executive director of the Smart Island program, Enrique Völckers-Nin detailed the projects that will continue to be developed to achieve high speed internet access for the island.

Under the Smart Island Program, a Contract Notice (Notice) was published for the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) web tool area, said the Assistant Secretary of the Government for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology and executive director of the program, Enrique Völckers Nin.

The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology and executive director of the Puerto Rico Broadband Program, Enrique Völckers Nin, urged citizens to find out if they qualify to receive the benefit of the Internet Subsidy Program, created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which seeks to help families pay for high-speed internet monthly.

The executive director of the Smart Island program, Enrique A. Völckers-Nin, announced that a Request for Proposals (RFP) has been published that seeks proposals to implement systems to provide reliable and resilient energy and reinforced infrastructure to key telecommunications facilities.

The executive director of the Smart Island program, Enrique A. Völckers-Nin, reminded citizens that it is available through smartisland.pr.gov/survey, the Internet Service Survey that will allow us to know the needs of people in terms of Internet use in their homes.

Puerto Rico's Broadband Program, Smart Island, published nine employment opportunities for that entity, as announced by its executive director, Enrique A. Völckers-Nin, assistant secretary of the Governance for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology.

Last Wednesday, April 12, 2023, it was held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center the first Smart Island Summit, an event which served as a stage to announce the projects led by the administration of Governor Hon. Pedro R. Pierluisi to reduce the digital divide on the Island.

Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi reported that thanks to an additional allocation of $740,000 for the Affordable Connectivity Reach (ACP) Grant Program, nearly one million eligible families will be able to benefit from the subsidy for high speed internet in Puerto Rico.

After the million-dollar allocation from the federal Government for Puerto Rico, which will enable the construction of the broadband infrastructure necessary to close the digital divide on the island, the Government of Puerto Rico has created the Smart Island program that seeks to develop and maximize initiatives in key areas to achieve high speed internet in Puerto Rico.