INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Speaking at Andicom 2026, ICT Minister Alexandra Falla Zerrate invited industry, academia, government and civil society to help shape ICT Plan Colombia 2026 – 2030, dubbed‘ Colombia: the technological miracle’. The strategy marks a shift from measuring digital progress primarily through coverage, connections, speeds and devices towards assessing how technology affects employment, income, competitiveness, innovation and regional development.

“ Colombia’ s technological future cannot be designed from a single office. We have to listen to each other, understand the needs of the territories and work together with those who are part of the country’ s technological and productive ecosystem,” Falla said.

Connectivity would remain central, but the government wants policy to focus increasingly on its productive impact. Future indicators could include reductions in digital poverty, technology adoption, employability, income, business productivity and the productive use of artificial intelligence.

The plan also aims to develop domestic technological capabilities rather than simply increase technology consumption. Priority areas include applied AI, AI agents, GovTech, FinTech, HealthTech, AgroTech, cybersecurity, analytics, data infrastructure, digital public infrastructure, computing and exportable digital services.

Five national missions will underpin the programme. Connecting Colombia will target universal, relevant and high-quality connectivity, while Prepare Colombia will focus on talent, education, STEM and AI. Make Colombia Produce will encourage AI, data, business digitalisation and the digital economy. Transform the State will pursue interoperability, GovTech, data and public-sector AI, while Protect Colombia will strengthen cybersecurity, sovereignty and digital trust.

During its first 100 days, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies plans to advance several initiatives, including a future connectivity policy, a review of spectrum use and assignment, a national Digital Talent mission and an applied AI roadmap.

It also plans a national cybersecurity architecture, a computing and data centre strategy and a portfolio of high-impact regional ICT projects. Twenty public procedures will be identified for deeper digitalisation, alongside a permanent mechanism linking government, industry, academia and territories.

The wider planning process will involve regulators, departments, municipalities, operators, companies, start-ups, universities, research centres and civil society, with policy development moving through consultation, diagnosis, prioritisation, design, validation, implementation and measurement.

The ambition reflects Colombia’ s push to capture greater value from its expanding digital infrastructure.

By 2030, Colombia wants connectivity to function as an effective right, technology training to translate into jobs and income and businesses to use AI to raise productivity. It also wants government to operate as a digital platform, regions to participate more fully in the digital economy and Colombian technology companies to compete internationally.

Falla said the initiative would require a new national digital agreement, combining government leadership with private investment, academic research, regional adoption and citizen participation.

“ Colombia has the position, it has the cables, it has the talent, it has the energy and now it has the direction,” she said.“ We are going to build, together, the Technological Miracle 2026 – 2030.” •

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