South American Governments Pledge Billions For Broadband Access

South American governments plan to spend billions of dollars in the next few years to bring high-speed internet access to under-served communities in order to narrow the digital divide between rich and poor. Argentina has slated $2 billion to develop a government-run broadband network, while Brazil has resuscitated state telecom company Telebras to bring connectivity to remote regions. Meanwhile, tiny Uruguay is offering a free, if somewhat slow, broadband connection to anyone with a phone line.