The College of Informatics and Computing Professionals (CPIC) is aware of the importance of digital transformation, and highlights that it is one of the main issues to strengthen, as has been seen in Costa Rica during the Pandemic.
This has been palpable thanks to the increase in the new normality that many public and private organizations have undertaken, as well as the great movement that the country’s students had in the use of technologies. But this increase has clearly demonstrated the digital divide and lack of infrastructure in the country’s telecommunications networks.
“From CPIC, we know that digital transformation is capable of turning around the way a business is developed and even in the learning and teaching methods that are approached in an educational center. However, we are aware that for the proper functioning of all these activities, a telecommunications network that works in an agile, adequate and precise way is needed; and that, in turn, it be available to 100% of the population”, stated Eng. Francisco Vargas, member of the CPIC Board of Directors.
COVID-19 has shown the great digital divide
According to the report issued by the Information and Knowledge Society Program (PROSIC) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), by 2020 nearly 50,000 Costa Rican households did not have an internet connection and 60% of these cases are a consequence of the lack of “education or digital literacy”. This point is considered by the CPIC as one of the great shortcomings that must be improved in the country.
The pandemic that we are currently experiencing has shown the limitations that Costa Rican families must deal with in order to access digital technologies. Data released by the Ministry of Public Education, in May 2020, indicates that more than 250,000 students have seen their education suspended due to the lack or little accessibility to digital services, which have become essential for education and job learning.
“Our lives will not be the same, the traditional work and education models will be complemented or even supplanted by remote and digital work and education, under the very reasonable justification of the positive effect in the economic, environmental, temporal and quality of life fields of our inhabitants”, assured Vargas.
Without a doubt, this is a great challenge and growth factor for the country’s telecommunications networks and the institutions that ensure the strengthening and use of technology for all those who become allies in the fight against the effects of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 disease.
