On April 6th, with the presence of the MBA José Ramón López Arellano, Director of the Technological Innovation Park of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), on behalf of the Rector, PhD Juan Eulogio Guerra Liera, the installation of the Coordination Committee of the Connected Mexico Project (PMC, Proyecto México Conectado) was carried out in Nuevo León State.

Thereby, Nuevo León becomes the 15th state joining to this federal program, which objective is to reduce the existent digital gap in the country, by promoting the free access to broadband internet service in schools, hospitals, clinics, libraries, community centers, governmental offices, parks, squares, among other public spaces.

Coordination Committee’s installation, performed in the Exhibition Center Lewis Industrial Unit of the Fundidora Park —first public space benefited with free internet by the PMC—, was leaded by Enrique Peña Nieto, President of the Republic, and Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz, Governor of the Nuevo León State.

Peña Nieto pointed out that up to today there are already 65 thousand public spaces connected to internet, of the 250 thousand the Constitution commands; it is intended to reach the objective of 100 thousand public spaces connected this year. He added that Mexico has reached a greater mobile internet connection, going from 21% to 40% regarding to population with access to this service.

Besides, he claimed that his government works so the Mexicans can have the required solid tools to have access to information technologies, proof of this is that currently 47.4 millions of people can access to internet for free.

At the event also were present the MPS Mónica Aspe Bernal, principal of the Coordination of the Information and Knowledge Society, instance responsible of operating the Project, from the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT, Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes); Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, SCT’s Secretary; Emilio Chuayffet, Public Education Secretary; Alfonso Navarrete Prida, Work Secretary; university rectors, among others.

This act is part of the efforts that contribute to guarantee the constitutional right to have access to broadband internet service, described in the sixth article of the Political Constitution of the Mexican United States. This way, the Federal Government’s interest on decreasing the existent digital gap in the country is demonstrated.

Written by PIT-UAS’ Communication Team, translated by Belem Ruiz (Edition and Communication, PIT-UAS).