The Chilean government announced that  it will soon accept bids for the installation of 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in locations across Arica and Punta Arenas. It is part of a program named the Digital Agenda under which the government is working to build a public Wi-Fi network, among other projects.
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The bidding is set to take place before the end of this year, and any company can participate. The government said it expects implementation to start next year, with all 1,000 hotspots ready by the beginning of 2014.
The bidding basis is still being prepared which is why no minimum amount has been defined yet, a spokesperson with Chilean telecom regulator Subtel explained to RCR Wireless News. The idea is that Internet access through the Wi-Fi hotspots will be free, but there is nothing set yet.
According to Subtel, there are a lot of people in Chile who own smartphones but have no data plans to access the Internet.
