The arrival of fiber optics will change to Magallanes, the southernmost region of the planet

The Austral Fiber Optic Project, a cable that will connect the southernmost zone of Chile, will mean, for the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic regions, "a before and after," he said. Efe the mayor (governor), Jorge Flies.

Santiago de Chile, Nov 15 (EFE) .- The Austral Fiber Optic Project, a cable that will connect the southernmost area of �??�??Chile, will mean for the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic regions, "A before and after," said the mayor (governor), Jorge Flies.

"Connecting us through a digital highway will allow us to place this extreme area at the disposal of The whole planet, and that, for a remote region, without terrestrial connectivity and, to this day without digital connectivity, is a fundamental change, "Flies stresses.

The cable will link the cities of Puerto Montt, in the Los Lagos region, with Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams, in the Magallanes region and the Chilean Antarctic, which will allow the development of productive pillars such as agriculture, livestock, fishing, petrochemicals or tourism, but especially research.

This region works as a "gateway" to Antarctica, where they work 29 countries, 22 of which arrive on the frozen continent in maritime or air expeditions that depart from the capital, Punta Arenas.

In this context, the fiber optic project will involve make available to scientists working in the area a greater logistical capacity and connectivity.

To do this, in parallel to the installation of the cable, they are being built four research centers, with which it is expected to multiply the presence of scientists from 300 currently to 1,200 by the year 2020, when the cable, which begins its installation in January 2018 would fulfill the 26 months expected to be built.

"The largest proportion of scientists per population in Latin America will be in Magallanes; that effort is reflected in the development of this technological revolution of the 21st century, "says the mayor.

For the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Rodrigo Ramírez, the austral fiber optic project is a "paradigm shift" in the development potential of Chile and Antarctic research worldwide.

With 3,000 kilometers of cable and more than 100 million dollars in budget, it is the "highest investment in the history of the country in terms of telecommunications" and the "most robust digital infrastructure of all Latin America. "

The austral fiber optic project will also have a favorable impact on areas such as telemedicine, since it can diagnose diseases such as cerebrovascular accidents; transpacific connection, a fiber optic cable of more than 20,000 kilometers that will link Asia and Latin America from China to Chile, representing an investment of 650 million dollars.

If this second project is completed, there will be a new configuration of business worldwide, assures the undersecretary Ramírez, who highlights the fact that the The continent will have a new way of traffic in telecommunications.