02/23/2021 7:36 AM
Clarín.com
Economy
Updated 02/23/2021 7:37 AM
The National Government authorized
new increases for Internet services, cable television and fixed telephony,
which will take effect in March.
It did so through Resolution $ 20/2021, published today in the Official Gazette.
Days ago the Executive had already allowed an increase in mobile telephony of up to 7.5% for February and 2.5% for next month.
From today, the rest of the telecommunications sector was included.
Through the Resolution published this Tuesday, the National Communications Entity (ENACOM)
established that the licensees of Fixed Telephony Services
(STF) may increase the value of their retail prices in March 2021
"by up to 5%"
.
For their part,
internet providers
will have an increment scheme:
a) Plans that offer up to 50 Mbps of download speed, Home Segment, of SVA-INT providers with less than 100,000 total accesses: up to 7%.
b) Plans that offer up to 50 Mbps of download speed, Home Segment, of SVA-INT providers with 100 thousand total accesses or more: up to 5%.
c) Plans that offer 50 Mbps or more download speed, Home Segment: up to 7.5%.
d) Corporate Plans: up to 7.5%.
In the case of residential cable television subscriptions, the increase schedule will be:
a) Plans offered by Subscription Broadcasting Service providers through Physical or Radio Link (SRSVFR) with less than 100,000 total accesses: up to 7%.
b) Plans offered by SRSVFR providers with 100 thousand total accesses or more: up to 5%.
c) Plans or packages of digital services of signals on demand and other additional "Premium": up to 7.5%.
The increase plan for
satellite television services
will be:
a) Up to five percent for providers with less than 200 channels;
7.5% for providers with 200 or more channels;
and up to 7.5% in the case of plans or packages of digital services for on-demand signals and other additional "Premium".
Last year, in the middle of the quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government had frozen the price of telecommunications services and the prohibition of increases lasted until the end of 2020. The cut of services was also not allowed for lack of payment.
As determined by ENACOM, the authorized increases
"may only be applied by those Licensees who have complied with the provisions in which the previous rate updates were allowed."
"ENACOM seeks a regulatory synergy regarding prices that conveys the reality that ICT and Satellite TV represent not only as a portal for access to health, work, education, justice, security , to knowledge, information and entertainment, but considering their fundamental incidence in the construction of economic and social development, "said the entity.
They also indicated that "admitting an unreasonable price would imply an effect on a large part of society, seeking to detract an excessive proportion of the income of users, damaging their accessibility and the fundamental rights that ICTs in general allow to satisfy, especially during the pandemic, where it has been fully demonstrated that only through the use of such technologies was this satisfaction possible. It is not untimely to remember that the successive increases that are authorized are the most fair, reasonable and affordable tool for all the actors involved, in function of projecting a gradual exit from the price freeze established until December 2020. "
