en.Wedoany.com Reported - Colombia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MinTIC) has deployed underwater fiber optic cables for the first time in the stilt village of Nueva Venecia, located in the marshlands of the Magdalena Department, providing high-speed internet access to 634 local households to bridge the country's digital divide.
Nueva Venecia is a marsh village entirely supported by stilts and accessible only by water. The total investment for this MinTIC project amounts to 25 billion pesos, implemented in collaboration with the National Academic Network for Advanced Technology, deploying approximately 342 kilometers of fiber optics. This includes the first-ever underwater cable of comparable scale in the region, stretching 62 kilometers to traverse the marsh and connect to the Atlantic submarine cable. A total of 14,158 households in the municipalities of Remolino, Ciénaga, Pueblo Viejo, and Sitionuevo, as well as the stilt villages of Nueva Venecia and Buenavista, have gained network connectivity as a result.
MinTIC Minister Karina Murcia stated that geographical distance has long been a barrier to accessing digital services, information, education, and development, but the connectivity deployed in the stilt villages of Magdalena proves that this reality can change. She noted that it is an honor to see this vision becoming a reality for 634 households, where local residents can now access new opportunities through the internet.
Alejandro Jiménez, Director of the Renata Project Management Office, pointed out that the project's greatest milestone is the first deployment of underwater fiber optics in Colombia. This large-scale underwater fiber optic cable reduces environmental impact by minimizing the need for land-based construction, while also better protecting infrastructure from damage and climate effects.
Across the Magdalena Department, MinTIC has invested over 154 billion pesos in school and household connectivity, connecting 26,185 households and 546 educational institutions to the internet, and training 28,229 people in digital skills, 54.7% of whom are women. Additionally, 13 internet consortiums, 81 5G base stations, and 108 innovation laboratories have been installed, indirectly benefiting over 110,000 students through connected educational institutions.
Murcia concluded by expressing hope that children and adolescents in Nueva Venecia will have the same opportunities as students elsewhere in the country, that entrepreneurs can grow, families gain access to more services, and the community strengthens its capacity to build a better future. She celebrated the community's connection to a new era.
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