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Digital Divide Country Profile · South America

BO

Bolivia

Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.

Location in the world

Bolivia

Flag of Bolivia

South America

World map showing the location of BoliviaBolivia
🇧🇴
Population (2024)
12,413,315
Total area
1,098,581 km²
Area in square miles
424,164.32 mi²
Coastline
Landlocked · 0 km
Base map adapted from Wikimedia Commons. Population: World Bank (2024); geography: CIA World Factbook.

National digital inclusion context

A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.

This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Bolivia in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.

The documented portfolio emphasizes Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure, Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure, Satellite Infrastructure, Fiber/Fiber Optic, FTTH. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.

Portfolio pattern

What the documented response contains.

Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.

Infrastructure and access

  1. Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure10
  2. Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure5
  3. Satellite Infrastructure2
  4. Community Access / Computing Infrastructure1
  5. Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure1

Specific technologies

  1. Fiber/Fiber Optic10
  2. FTTH7
  3. GPON6
  4. Satellite Broadband2
  5. Wi-Fi2

Intervention classification

  1. Infrastructure and Specific Technology13
  2. Infrastructure only2

Education and workforce

Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.

3 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 0 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.

Access

Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.

Capability

Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.

Participation

Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.

Sustainability

Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.

Project and initiative portfolio

15 documented records

Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.

01

Rural FTTH

Apolo FTTH Deployment

Operational May 2024 · Apolo, La Paz
View details
Status / periodOperational May 2024LocationApolo, La PazPopulationFamilies and businessesOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Connects a remote municipality with home fiber broadband.

Activities and approach: FTTH/GPON

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureGPONFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
02

Rural mobile broadband

ENTEL 2025 Rural Mobile Base-Station Expansion

2025 · Nationwide, 70% rural in Jan–Jul 2025
View details
Status / period2025LocationNationwide, 70% rural in Jan–Jul 2025PopulationRural and remote residentsOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Adds new mobile sites, most in rural areas, increasing Internet and voice coverage.

Activities and approach: 238 new radio base stations

Mobile / Wireless InfrastructureTower / Site Infrastructure
03

Rural fiber expansion

IFO III – Fiber Interconnection of 47 Localities

2022–implementation · 47 localities
View details
Status / period2022–implementationLocation47 localitiesPopulationSchools, hospitals, public institutions and residentsOrganizationsGovernment of Bolivia; ENTEL

Deploys ~2,500 km of fiber to 47 localities to reduce the urban-rural digital divide.

Activities and approach: Long-haul fiber; municipal interconnection

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
EducationK–12
04

Municipal fiber backbone

IFO Phase III – Chuma Fiber Interconnection

Delivered Jul 2025 · Chuma, La Paz
View details
Status / periodDelivered Jul 2025LocationChuma, La PazPopulationResidents, schools, health and local producersOrganizationsGovernment of Bolivia; ENTEL

Connects the municipality to the national fiber backbone, enabling later FTTH access.

Activities and approach: Backbone fiber

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
EducationK–12
05

Municipal fiber backbone

IFO Phase III – Laja Fiber Interconnection

Delivered Jul 2025 · Laja, La Paz
View details
Status / periodDelivered Jul 2025LocationLaja, La PazPopulationResidents, schools, health and local producersOrganizationsGovernment of Bolivia; ENTEL

Connects the municipality to the national fiber backbone and supports future last-mile deployment.

Activities and approach: Backbone fiber

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureLast-Mile / Access InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
EducationK–12
06

Rural FTTH

Mapiri FTTH Deployment

Operational May 2024 · Mapiri, La Paz
View details
Status / periodOperational May 2024LocationMapiri, La PazPopulationFamilies and businessesOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Adds stable high-speed fiber in a remote municipality.

Activities and approach: FTTH/GPON

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureGPONFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
07

Rural FTTH

Palos Blancos FTTH Deployment

Operational May 2024 · Palos Blancos, La Paz
View details
Status / periodOperational May 2024LocationPalos Blancos, La PazPopulationFamilies and businessesOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Extends fiber broadband to an underserved municipality.

Activities and approach: FTTH/GPON

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureGPONFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
08

Social-inclusion fiber network

PRONTIS Fiber Interconnection – 77 Municipal Capitals

Completed Phase I / Phase II underway · 77 municipal capitals
View details
Status / periodCompleted Phase I / Phase II underwayLocation77 municipal capitalsPopulationUrban and rural municipal populationsOrganizationsPRONTIS; ENTEL

Interconnects municipal capitals with fiber, democratizing mobile and Internet access and extending national backbone reach.

Activities and approach: Fiber-optic interconnection; mobile backhaul

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
09

Rural FTTH

Puente San Pablo FTTH Project

Operational Aug 2025 · Puente San Pablo, Beni
View details
Status / periodOperational Aug 2025LocationPuente San Pablo, BeniPopulationHouseholds in Puente San PabloOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Provides home fiber Internet in a rural river community.

Activities and approach: FTTH/GPON

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureGPONFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
10

Community Internet access

Rural Community Telecentres – National Network

Ongoing · Rural communities nationwide
View details
Status / periodOngoingLocationRural communities nationwidePopulationResidents without household devices or broadbandOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia; local concessionaires

Provides shared Internet and ICT access through satellite, wireless or terrestrial backhaul.

Activities and approach: Community telecentres

Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureCommunity Access / Computing Infrastructure
11

Rural FTTH

San Antonio FTTH Project

Operational Aug 2025 · San Antonio, Santa Cruz
View details
Status / periodOperational Aug 2025LocationSan Antonio, Santa CruzPopulationHouseholds in San AntonioOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Extends fixed fiber broadband into a smaller rural locality.

Activities and approach: FTTH/GPON

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureGPONFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
12

Rural household broadband

SUBE Satellite Home Internet

Operational · Remote areas nationwide
View details
Status / periodOperationalLocationRemote areas nationwidePopulationFamilies beyond ADSL/FTTH coverageOrganizationsAgencia Boliviana Espacial

Offers fixed satellite broadband in any part of the country where terrestrial operators do not reach.

Activities and approach: Satellite Internet; Wi-Fi router

Satellite InfrastructureWi-FiSatellite Broadband
13

National satellite broadband

Túpac Katari-1 Satellite Telecommunications Programme

2014–ongoing · Nationwide, especially remote/dispersed areas
View details
Status / period2014–ongoingLocationNationwide, especially remote/dispersed areasPopulationRural and geographically dispersed usersOrganizationsAgencia Boliviana Espacial

Satellite was conceived for social inclusion and universal telecommunications and supplies Internet to areas beyond terrestrial networks.

Activities and approach: Ka/Ku/C-band satellite; Internet/data services

Satellite InfrastructureSatellite Broadband
14

Rural FTTH

Villa Abecia FTTH Rural Expansion

Operational Dec 2024 · Villa Abecia, Chuquisaca
View details
Status / periodOperational Dec 2024LocationVilla Abecia, ChuquisacaPopulationHouseholds and local businessesOrganizationsENTEL Bolivia

Brings fiber-to-the-home to a rural municipality and expands fixed broadband beyond major cities.

Activities and approach: FTTH/GPON

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureGPONFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
15

Community Internet access

WiFi Comunitario via Túpac Katari

Operational · Communities without telecommunications service
View details
Status / periodOperationalLocationCommunities without telecommunications servicePopulationRemote rural communitiesOrganizationsAgencia Boliviana Espacial

Creates shared Wi-Fi zones in communities with no telecom service, including solar options where electricity is absent.

Activities and approach: Satellite backhaul; public/community Wi-Fi; solar power

Public Wi-Fi / Community Network InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructurePower / Resilience InfrastructureWi-Fi

Evidence boundary

Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.

Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.

Evidence and contextProfile Sources

These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.

  1. Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Bolivia. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bolivia/
  2. International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
  3. World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Bolivia. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=BO
  4. World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Bolivia. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=BO

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